


House of Shards

by KaliopeShipsIt



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Alive Hale Family, BAMF Chris Argent, Bodyguard!Danny Mahealani, Bottom Danny Mahealani, Congressman!Derek Hale, Discussion of Politics and Religion, Homophobia, Hurt Derek, M/M, Massage, Multi, Philanthropist!Stiles Stilinksi, Politics, Protective Stiles, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-24
Updated: 2015-03-07
Packaged: 2018-01-16 22:18:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1363744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaliopeShipsIt/pseuds/KaliopeShipsIt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Congressman Derek Hale is about to be nominated as the Democrat's vice presidential candidate in the upcoming election and Secret Service Agent Danny Mahealani is assigned to protect the first openly gay potential Vice President - as well as his husband Stiles, who seems all but oblivious to the potential dangers of the situation. </p><p>As the election draws closer and the Argent-Hale ticket is continually rocked by political scandals, Danny finds himself questioning everything ... especially his work-ethic and the rather inconvenient attraction he not only feels towards Derek but also towards the Congressman's husband.  </p><p>A House of Cards AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The One Where Danny Meets his New Boss

**Author's Note:**

> Please do not put my stuff on Goodreads. I was not aware that part of my stories were on there and I am not comfortable with having my fan fics circulated out of my control. 
> 
>  
> 
> This fic is loosely (read: very loosely) inspired by the awesomeness that is House of Cards.
> 
> There will be comma-errors but I will try to keep them to a minimum - please bear with me!

It’s an early morning on an unseasonably warm April day when Secret Service agent Danny Mahealani first sets sights upon his new client. Clients, to be more precise, because even though he has been assigned to protect Derek Hale, Whip of the Democratic Party and rumored candidate for the Vice Presidency, he can already tell that his husband might need to be watched over carefully as well. Stiles Stilinski, Mr. Derek Hale to his friends, seems to be completely oblivious to his surroundings while he is standing next to his husband on the front-steps of their home. He is chatting away a mile a minute about how dreadful his day at work is going to be, one hand clutching a coffee-cup while the other is stroking Congressman Hale’s waist. Danny takes his time as he walks up to the front door, his trained eye cataloguing his surroundings. The Hales live in a quiet and relatively secure neighborhood, but Danny knows all too well that things are going to become much more tense if the rumors about Hale’s step up the political career ladder are to be believed.

Although Chris Argent has not been formally nominated as the Democratic candidate for the upcoming national election, it seems only a matter of time until his last remaining opponent, Senator Finstock, will remove himself from the race. Danny has never considered Bobby Finstock presidential material to begin with, however, he does have a soft spot for the strange but endearing Senator who seemingly spent the majority of his campaign staging photo ops of him teaching his nephew’s Little League Team. The mean part of Danny wonders if Finstock would have fared better in the polls if his nephew, a scrawny little guy with glasses who only answers to Greenberg, had been a better player. Regardless, his colleagues – or rather Jackson, to be more precise – are already collecting bets on whether Finstock will use sport metaphors and blow into his signature whistle when he concedes the race to Argent. Danny has 50 bucks riding on that he will.

Argent and Hale are a good political fit; both of them firm on specific issues and balancing each other out when necessary. They have been known to engage in heated arguments during congressional debates and Danny appreciates the thought of a Vice President who will not hesitate to call out the President of the United States on a mistake. They can be charming if they want to, yet highly intimidating if they need to, and Danny is definitely going to vote for them in November, even though Hale’s role in the campaign will make his life all that more difficult. One of the reasons for this is currently whispering something into the Congressman’s ear and Danny fights his instinct to roll his eyes at the crude, but corny little reference to something that obviously took place in the privacy of their bedroom the previous night. Danny grew up with a deaf brother and became trained at reading lips at an early age. He tries really hard to not use his skill to invade somebody’s privacy, but Stilinski is not covering his mouth and Danny kind of needs to focus on them right now. He needs to observe how they interact with each other to be able to do his job better and he can already tell that Stiles is going to be a problem. Danny can read people very well and his instincts tell him that this is a man who would walk into a trap while smiling brightly and handing out cookies to strangers. He envies the man’s sunny disposition; he really does, but oblivious carelessness in combination with being the husband of the first openly gay Vice Presidential candidate of the United States, a country that still has its fare share of violent bigots, seems like a recipe for disaster.

Making a mental note to request extra protection for Stilinski in the future, Danny focuses his attention on Hale himself. Unlike his husband, who has barely acknowledged Danny’s presence until he is quite literally standing right in front of them, Hale’s eyes have been following his movements ever since he got out of the car, even though he seems to have been paying attention to his husband’s ramblings about budget cuts and not wanting to fire people. His right hand is gripping a briefcase and his left arm is casually looped across Stilinski’s shoulder, his fingers tracing small circles on the man’s upper arm. It fills Danny with satisfaction that the affection and commitment they show towards each other during public outings seem to be genuine. As a gay man himself he appreciates how important and difficult Hale’s coming-out was, especially given his position within the party and his reputation as a no-nonsense, authoritative Alpha leader, that defied many of the common stereotypes attached to gay men. Once Hale had put a stop to the snarky comments about how exactly he is whipping the Democrats into submission – it never fails to irritate Danny how people immediately equate homosexuality with all kinds of fetishes – he had quickly become a favorite of the media. When he got married to Stiles Stilinski, the media coverage almost trumped the news frenzy surrounding the Royal Wedding in 2011.

Hale’s expression is polite, but cool, his gaze skeptical and Danny realizes with an internal sigh that this is not a man who trusts easily, which is a shame considering that trust is required for him to perform his job to everyone’s satisfaction. Before Danny gets a chance to open his mouth to introduce himself, a hand suddenly shoots out in front of him and Stiles is pumping his hand enthusiastically.

“Hello, I’m Stiles. Mr. Stilinski-Hale if you are uptight about this sort of thing, but Stiles is fine, really. Just make sure you always call this one here Congressman, he never gets tired of hearing that.”

Stiles’ eyes are sparkling with amusement when he playfully nudges his shoulder against Hale. Danny’s eyes flicker back and forth between the couple and he has to keep himself from smirking when Hale lets out a long-suffering sigh and holds out his own hand. “Derek Hale. It is a pleasure to meet you. Things are about to become a little more hectic around here and from what I have heard you seem to be quite accomplished when it comes to dealing with certain … potential threats.”

Danny nods curtly; neither of the men deeming it necessary to spell out what Hale is referring to. Danny’s last charge, a very liberal Congresswoman from Arizona, was hounded by homophobic protesters during almost her entire Governor campaign because of her ambition to overturn the state’s strict laws against gay marriage and Danny had been almost relieved when she lost the election to her conservative opponent. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see her in office, but he has to admit he sleeps more peacefully at night knowing that Erica Reyes’ life is no longer under constant threat.

His gaze is firm and his voice steady when he addresses Congressman Hale. “Absolutely, Sir. We will take any precaution necessary to ensure your and your husband’s safety during the upcoming election.”

Yes, he is taking a leap here by automatically including Stilinksi in his job description, but the way Hale’s arm tightens around the younger man’s shoulders shows that he made the right call. The Congressman nods, some of the tension leaving his face and Danny realizes that gaining Stilinski’s trust will go a long way towards Hale’s trust and approval. The man in question is currently trying, and spectacularly failing, to give his husband an enthusiastic goodbye hug without spilling his coffee everywhere and both Danny and Hale barely escape the splash zone.

“Whoops.” Stiles winks at Danny and quickly plants a kiss on the Congressman’s mouth. “Go growl at someone, they probably deserve it.” He leans down to grab the morning paper, smacks Hale’s behind playfully and walks – well, scampers, really – back into the house. Hale looks after him in fond amusement and when his eyes fall back on Danny the agent is carefully inspecting the flowers in the front yard.

“Shall we get going then.” It’s not a question and Danny jumps into action immediately, briskly walking down towards the car and opening the door for Hale. The Congressman drops his briefcase onto the seat and turns halfway so that he is facing Danny, his expression both serious and guarded. “One of the reasons my husband runs a non-profit NGO is his unerring belief in the kindness of people. It makes him the person he is, but it also blinds him to some of the more … uglier aspects of life. I trust you will keep that in mind?” For a moment, the stern mask on Derek Hale’s face slips and although it’s only a fraction of second, Danny can see the man’s anxiety and deep worry for his husband. It triggers emotions in him that he quickly suppresses and he nods instead, trying to put as much authority as possible into his voice when he says: “It will not be a problem.” It seems to convince Hale, who clasps his upper arm briefly, nods, and climbs into the car. Danny allows his shoulders to relax when he walks around the car to slide into the driver’s seat. The important first impression has gone over very well.

 

*************************

 

The rest of Danny’s day passes more or less uneventful. Hale’s calendar is filled with meetings in his office and since his services are not required, Danny makes it a point to organize a security plan that includes Stilinski’s safety, just in case Hale’s nomination to the ticket happens earlier than expected. He has just gotten a coffee from the break room’s fancy machine and is so focused on his laptop screen that he startles when Jackson suddenly steps up behind him and clears his throat.

“Geez, Jackson, you need to stop doing that!”

Jackson throws himself into the nearest chair and grins triumphantly. “Constant vigilance my man!”

Danny sighs. “Enough with the _Harry Potter_ references already, we are no longer in 7th grade!”

Jackson chuckles. “I will never understand how someone as geeky as you are could never see the value of _Harry Potter_. Harry taught me all I ever needed to know about life and you are definitely missing out.”

Danny rolls his eyes and goes back to his charts, determined to ignore his best friend.

Ignoring Jackson is, of course, an exercise in futility.

“Come on Danny, tell me all about Congressman Hale! Is the husband really as ditzy as the media make him out to be?”

Danny briefly thinks back to the coffee-fiasco and decides Jackson does not need to know everything. “They are both alright. Stilinski seems really friendly and Hale just has a lot on his plate right now.”

Jackson nods. “I heard. I really don’t envy you, you know. Congresswoman Martin might be busting my balls with her constant shopping trips whenever she needs to blow off some steam after a heated debate, but at least she is not a walking, talking target for a hate-crime.”

Danny grimaces. “Yeah. I am actually working on extra security for Stilinski right now. It is not necessary as of this moment, but as soon as Hale is nominated, the public will be even more interested in their marriage and he will definitely need around-the-clock protection as well.”

His best friend grins and Danny winces. He knows that grin; it never bodes well for anybody. “I’m certain you would be willing to volunteer your own … uhm … special skills when it comes to protecting the Congressman’s husband.”

“I am never telling you anything ever again, it doesn’t matter how drunk you get me. For the last time, I did not beg for this assignment so that I could pine over Stiles Stilinski-Hale on a daily basis.”

They had both gotten leave over the holidays and Jackson had gotten the old gang in their home town back together to celebrate New Year’s. One thing had led to another and someone had decided there was no better way for all of them to relive the glory days of their youth than playing truth or dare with a bottle of Tequila. Danny fiercely regrets that night, especially the part where he had picked truth and responded to Jackson's seemingly harmless “Who is your celebrity crush”-question by waxing poetically about the moles on Stiles Stilinski’s face. They had made him drink two shots, because apparently charming NGO-leaders who were making the world a better place didn’t count as celebrities, and Jackson has been teasing him about it ever since they have gotten back to D.C.

It’s not even a real crush. He knows the guy is married and Danny has strict rules when it comes to cheating. But he has always admired him and it’s not his fault that Stilinski is pretty much the living, breathing embodiment of his ideal man.

“You can wipe that smirk right off your face, I’m a professional but not that kind of professional. And besides, I am perfectly happy admiring the way he and Hale are so deeply in love with each other that it is almost sickening to those of us who are single.”

Jackson sighs dramatically. “Danny, we need to get you laid.”

Danny laughs. “That is your solution for everything, so forgive me if I am not taking it seriously this time.”

“You should”, Jackson grumbles. “You really need to lighten up some.”

Before Danny can respond there is a cough from the other side of the room and when he looks up Hale is leaning against the doorframe, briefcase tucked under his arm and his lips curled into a peculiar half-smile. “I hope I am not interrupting gentlemen, but my last appointment cancelled on me and I have decided to leave a little earlier today.”

Jackson and Danny both stand up and Danny hopes he doesn’t look as mortified as he feels inside. Their conversation wasn’t overly loud, but there is no telling how long Hale has been standing in the doorway. Maybe Jackson has a point with the ‘constant vigilance especially in your break-time’ mantra.

Hale doesn’t look like a man who has just overheard that his new bodyguard has a crush on his husband and Danny breathes an internal sigh of relief, even though the strange half-smile, an unusual expression for Hale’s expressive face as it is, is still creeping him out a little. He quickly shuts his laptop and puts it into his bag. “My apologies Congressman, I was just working on a plan to extend security measures to your husband, once that will become necessary.”

Again, Hale’s features lose some of their constant guardedness and Danny can tell he is grateful although he seems unable or unwilling to express this in so many words. It hasn’t even been a day and Danny is already marveling at how Derek Hale, a man who seems reluctant to express any form of emotion in a small, private setting, can be such a charming politician in his public life. Danny has seen him handle babies on television during the last campaign trail coverage and it made his non-existent ovaries explode.

“That is good to hear.” He nods at Jackson and then turns to leave, clearly indicating for Danny to do the same. Danny catches Jackson mouth the word “Bossy” and he quickly pats his friend’s shoulder on the way out. Hale is not really bossy at all, but if it helps Jackson deal with the fact that he got stuck with the most high-maintenance member of Congress as his boss, Danny can definitely invent tales of horror that will match the one time a bill Lydia Martin had sponsored didn’t pass Congress and she became so upset that she forced Jackson to watch _The Notebook_ with her – during his time-off.

The drive home is quiet and when they pull up in front of the Hale-Stilinski residence, Danny is not really surprised to see Stiles sitting on the front steps, enjoying the last of the sunshine and reading a book. He looks up when Derek unlocks the gate and the Congressman has barely stepped on their property when Stiles launches himself at him, limbs flailing every which way, his eyes sparkling with happiness. “You will never guess what happened today, Sour Wolf!” he gushes and Danny has to give Hale credit for neither dropping his briefcase, nor his overenthusiastic husband.

“A last-minute donation came in. A really big one and I don’t have to fire people after all!” Hale smiles at his husband. It’s the first real smile Danny has seen on his face in person, a little like the one he uses when he’s cuddling babies, but infinitely better, because instead of genuine but distant affection, the look in his eyes is of genuine love and Danny can’t help but gasp a little at the way it lights up the man’s face. Stiles obviously can’t resist him either. He yanks Derek towards him and kisses him deeply, without a care in the world as to who could see.

When they part both of their faces are flushed and Stiles throws Danny a friendly wave before grabbing Derek’s briefcase and bounding up the stairs. Derek watches him go with a satisfied little smile and Danny is suddenly positive that the Congressman had something to do with that last-minute donation to his husband’s NGO. When Derek turns to him the peculiar little half-smile from the break room is back and his voice holds a tinge of amusement when he says “Same time tomorrow?”

Danny nods dutifully. “Of course, Congressman.”

When the door to the Hale-Stilinski home is safely shut behind its inhabitants, Danny rests his forehead against the top of his car, resisting the urge to hit himself repeatedly.

He doesn’t want to be a cliché and he definitely will not tell Jackson about this, but at the moment he feels like Hugh Grant in _Love Actually_ after the prime minister first meets Natalie.

Danny had been confident he could handle crushing on Stiles Stilinski. After all, he would mostly be working with Hale, who, despite being extremely good-looking, had never really held his attention for more than the average news segment. But seeing Derek’s real smile and that passionate kiss has triggered something in Danny and it’s not that he is crushing on both of them separately now, which would be bad enough in itself, no, he is crushing on them as a couple. Together. As in, together-together.

Considering his life has suddenly turned into an epic romantic comedy – with the joke being on Danny, obviously – he doesn’t even feel too cheesy about channeling his own Hugh Grant when he slumps against the car door.

“Oh no. This is so inconvenient.”


	2. The One Where Danny's In Way Over His Head

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes some disturbing descriptions of homophobic attacks. Consider yourselves warned.  
> Beta is on vacation so I apologize for anything I might have overlooked. 
> 
> Also, two things: First, I realize that I am taking some slight creative liberties with the way protection agencies work, but it is necessary in the pursuit of character development. 
> 
> Second: The major characters are all part of the Democratic party, but that doesn't mean I will portray all Democrats in the story as good by default and all Republicans as right-wing evil. However, there will be an election campaign and as such, things are bound to get heated between the opponents.

When Danny drives the car up to the house the next morning, Congressman Hale is already standing outside. For a moment Danny is worried that he is late, but a quick look at his watch tells him that he is actually ten minutes early. In fact, Hale isn’t even looking at him; he seems focused on the bars of the iron gate that separates the property from the street. When Danny pulls up and parks the car, Hale beckons him to join him at the gate and, curious, Danny immediately complies.

He doesn’t see it until he is almost standing next to Hale, but when he does, it is suddenly the only thing he can focus on. It makes him so furious that he can literally hear the blood rushing in his ears. “Sir, I’m so sorry, I have no idea how that got here!”

Hale holds up a hand to silence him. He pulls nail scissors and a Ziploc bag out of his pocket and positions the Ziploc bag in a way around the offending _thing_ hanging from the gate bar that he only has to make one small cut to make it drop into the bag. Hale closes the zipper and holds it out to Danny, who knows that he should probably steel his features right now, but _holy shit,_ he just can’t help the fact that he probably looks like he wants to cry, not only because of the _thing_ , but also because Hale has a look of grim resignation on his face when really, he should be looking as furious as Danny feels inside.

“Once you drop me off at the Hill, I will need you to bring this to the police station.” Hale says without any emotion and Danny nods numbly, following his boss to the car and opening the door for him as if he was on autopilot. He opens his own door and sinks behind the wheel, helplessly staring at the bag in his hand, not knowing where to put it so he doesn’t have to _see_ it.

His eyes meet Hale’s in the rear-view mirror and the Congressman’s expression softens to a kind of compassion. Danny feels horrible, because _he_ should be the one offering comfort to Hale, not the other way around.

“This is not the first time this, or something like it, has happened. The first time was a little over two years ago. We had just returned from our honeymoon and Stiles was away at a conference, when I stepped outside to get the paper one Saturday morning and saw it.”

“I considered it a threat to my family and so I bagged it, called my former driver and took it down to the police station myself. I did not want to call the police and risk this becoming an actual news story, but I did speak to the Chief in person. He assured me they would do everything they could to catch the people who were responsible. He had to see me, you know, because of who I am, but I read people very well. I have to, in order to do my job correctly. While he did have to see me because of who I am, he did not respect me because of whom I love. He tried to hide it, and I think he believes he did a good job of it, but I knew his personal beliefs would justify his decision to not make this a priority.”

Danny tries to speak and Hale holds up his hand again. “I know you are already thinking about organizing around-the-clock security for the house. The Chief suggested it as well, but I married a smart man, Agent, and he would have noticed something was off eventually. He comes off as a little oblivious to his surroundings at times, I know that, but trust me, he notices things and this is something that I do not want him to notice.”

Hale looks out of the window, his gaze fixed on the house and he sighs, before he continues.

 “For the past two years I have woken up almost an hour earlier than Stiles does so the first thing I can do is come out here and check if anybody has left a message for us. It doesn’t happen everyday, sometimes we can go weeks without an incident, but it does happen regularly. It’s not always as vulgar as this, but the hateful intention behind the message is always clear. DNA analysis of the evidence has not been helpful because there are never any fingerprints and … _that_ … is not necessarily listed in the database for comparison.”

Hale makes a small grimace, the first outward sign of emotion he has allowed himself to display since Danny pulled up to the house.

“Until now we have decided against around-the-clock-protection of the house. Stiles was cautious about feeling like a prisoner in his own home and of course we enforced security right after I came out and also right after our wedding, but the overall threat-situation never required it for long. The Democrats are currently the minority in the house and I am not the minority leader, which, until now, has made me a lesser target than people like Kali Baker, the majority leader, or Ennis Halligan, the Republican Whip.”

This time, the grimace is more pronounced and Danny can tell that Hale deeply dislikes his political opponents. He can understand why, he has only briefly interacted with Baker once, but she set his teeth on edge.

Hale shakes his head and continues. “When I am nominated as the Vice Presidential candidate to the ticket, we can no longer avoid around-the-clock protection for our home and ourselves. Stiles knows that and he understands that the potential future Vice President of the United States will be in need of protection, be it from international enemies or domestic threats. However, I see no reason, no reason at all, for him to know that we could have used this protection for the past two years simply because of our marriage.”

Danny swallows and carefully weighs his words before he opens his mouth. “Sir, with all due respect. Isn’t marriage about sharing the burdens of everyday life?”

Derek’s gaze is fixed on him and the look in his eyes makes Danny worry that he just overstepped his bounds in a big way.

“When I made my wedding vows, I vowed to make my husband happy. It was a selfish vow, because it not only benefits him but also me. I swim in a stormy sea of bloodthirsty sharks every day and he is my anchor. Knowing this would crush him. I cannot allow that to happen. I need him to function so I can function myself.”

“I am telling you this because I need to trust that you will assist me in shielding this from my husband. I need you to continue to bring these things to the police and I need you to understand why it is essential that my husband does not know about this. I saw the way you reacted back there and I really appreciate the sentiment, but you need to follow my orders on this and you cannot let a sense of misguided activism or righteousness provoke you into doing something about it that would inevitably attract my husband’s attention. Can I trust you on this?”

Danny bites his lip. He really doesn’t agree with the Congressman’s decision to keep this from his husband, but at the same time, he also knows that it doesn’t matter whether he agrees or not.

He hopes he doesn’t sound as bitter as he feels when he answers his boss.

“Yes Sir. You can trust me.”

Hale has obviously used up his daily quota of words because he just nods and then starts to concentrate on a file from his briefcase.

Danny suddenly realizes he is still holding on to the Ziploc bag and after making sure it is closed properly he drops it onto the ground in front of the passenger seat where he doesn’t have to see it anymore. Hale hardly speaks ten words to him until he drops him off at his office doors and even then it’s just “Remember to drop it off ” and “I’ll be ready around 9.” When he arrives at the police station the young girl who takes down his information looks just as revolted as he still feels inside when she sets her sight on the bag’s content. Danny is grateful that at least one person is showing the proper emotional response to this beside him, because he still feels like punching somebody.

When he exits the station he does not immediately make his way back to the Capitol, but instead makes a detour to the nearby coffee shop. After he has paid for his amaretto cappuccino he takes a small walk to clear his head and reflect on how much it is going against his personal convictions to honor the promise he made to Hale.

Danny is a firm believer in honesty and from the little he has observed about Stiles in person, combined with his overall relatively genuine public persona, he would be willing to bet that Stiles is, too. Danny understands where Hale is coming from, but at the same time he is certain that he would feel betrayed if he found out his partner had been hiding vicious attacks against them as a couple for multiple years. Although, of course, betrayal might be too harsh of a word, when he is actually going for belittlement. He meant it when he talked about sharing burdens – Derek isn’t Stiles’ father trying to shield his somewhat naïve, happy child from the evils of the world, he is his husband, and as such, they should care for and protect each other as equal partners.  

Then again, imagining the look on Stiles’ face upon seeing a used condom soiled with fecal matter tied around the bars of the gate to his home just about breaks Danny’s heart.

Yes, he will keep the promise. He may not agree with Hale’s secrecy, but the Congressman and him have one thing in common – neither of them wants to see that look on Stiles’ face.

 

********************

It’s long after midnight when Danny gets back to his apartment. Tomorrow is Saturday and Danny is having a long-awaited day-off. Initially he had been worried about having his first day-off only three days into his new employment, but his boss and Stiles are attending the Christening of Hale’s nephew tomorrow. The Christening is taking place in a small town nearby, it has been kept under the radar and since Hale has not officially been announced as a candidate yet, protection is not really needed. Danny would have felt weird about intruding anyways.

Sighing, Danny kicks off his shoes and sinks down onto the bed. He had gotten off duty around 10:30 pm and, after parking the car at his place, went straight to the club afterwards, not even bothering to change. Jackson would have given him hell about that, but the last Danny saw of his best friend was the blonde haired man pulling out his hair in frustration because Martin’s newest schedule has been essentially destroying whatever social life he had left.

Jackson has been pulling over-time to make sure he is the one in charge when Martin is on the campaign trail, sometimes acting more like a personal assistant than a bodyguard, and Danny can’t help but feel his friend is a little oblivious to the fact that Martin has him completely whipped.

All things considered, Jackson doesn’t have much leverage to criticize Danny’s life choices at the moment. And if one of these life-choices was making sure he was put into consideration for Hale’s new bodyguard position and then making sure the director remembered that there was this one little favor he still owed Danny’s father because of their time in Vietnam, then well, Jackson is never going to know.

It’s a life choice that has already come to bite him in the ass merely two days after meeting Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski in person. His sudden attraction to Hale has caught him completely off guard and although he has so far managed to suppress that particular urge completely when Hale is actually standing in front of him, it makes him extremely uncomfortable when he is left with only his own thoughts for company.

After pulling his Hugh Grant-Stunt that first night, Danny went home to his apartment, jumped straight into the shower and proceeded to have an explosive jerk-off session that left him feeling guilty for hours afterwards. He doesn’t believe in cheating and he doesn’t really trust open relationships either, which means that the only way he can get his hands on either of them is at the same time and while the thought alone is enough to keep him semi-hard for longer than he cares to think about, he really doesn’t believe that will ever be an option. Stiles looks at Derek like he has hung the moon, completely blocking out everything around him when they are together and Derek’s entire behavior screams _Mine_ when he is standing next to his husband. When Danny first met the two of them, Derek kept his arm around Stiles almost the entire time and Danny is pretty sure he saw him actually tighten his grip on Stiles’ shoulder when the younger man moved forward to shake Danny’s hand. Danny would rather cut off his arm than ask Congressman Hale if he was willing to share his husband, he’s certain the first option would result in less pain and gore.

Not to mention that Danny is a professional and Derek is his boss, which renders the whole point moot anyways. 

However, not even being a professional saved him from almost losing his composure today when faced with the unbelievable hate targeted against the Congressman and his husband. Danny felt like he does whenever something bad happens to somebody he loves and that’s just pathetic, because he has only spent two days with Hale, the majority of his time in the break-room at the Capitol, and all he really knows about Stiles is bits and pieces from news interviews and gossip magazines. He doesn’t know these people and he really shouldn’t feel like this. Compassion: yes. Righteous anger out of principle: yes. Blinding fury because someone hurt the people he loves: nope, absolutely not, because that’s crazy stalker-talk and Danny should probably just go ahead and arrest himself.

Going to a club to screw his brains out and forget his woes seemed like the most logical course of action. It usually helps him clear his mind, too, and Danny could really use some clarity right about now.

Sadly, his strategy kind of backfired on him and as he burrows his face into his pillows, Danny feels even more worn out than before as he remembers the events of the night.

_The rhythmic thump of the music hits Danny like a freight train when he finally steps into the club around 11 pm. His body is tense and he feels like his nerves are high-strung like a violin-string, and every thump of the music seems to reverberate throughout his body. It’s his day off tomorrow so Danny doesn’t feel bad about marching to the bar first thing, downing three shots in one go to take at least a little bit of the edge off._

_When he joins a group of mostly half-naked man on the dance floor he is buzzed enough to lose himself in the music, the moving sea of bodies, and the musky smell of sweat and cologne that surrounds him. He doesn’t reach out to touch people, wanting to be touched instead and it’s not long before a hard, broad chest is pressed against his back and large hands are roaming all over his upper arms and own chest. If worst comes to worst, Danny is a skillful fighter and trained in deadly combat, which is why he feels secure enough to close his eyes and lean back against the stranger, soaking in the affection and desire radiating from the unknown man._

_He cranes his neck back until the back of his head comes to rest upon a solid, naked shoulder and he slowly sways his hips to the beat of the music, grinding into the man’s crotch and dipping his neck to the side, exposing the line of his throat._

_It’s a submissive move, and an invitation, and Danny knows very well what effect he can have on people, so he breathes in deeply, still refraining from looking at his dance-partner, waiting for him to make the next move._

_A stubbly chin suddenly nudges against his sensitive skin, the scratch of the beard going straight to his groin and he groans, his hands thrusting back to grab the stranger’s hips, jerking him closer._

_He is fully aroused now and he finally turns his head to take in the man standing behind him. The guy is maybe five years older than him, dark-haired and square-jawed, his eyes shining like the color of electric grey under the artificial light in the club. His features are too harsh to be called cute and he is definitely on the rugged side of handsome, the stubble on his chin and cheeks edging towards full-on beard territory. He is a bit taller than Danny and a bit bulkier, his eyes slightly lidded with arousal, but the soft smile on his lips is genuine and friendly – well, as polite and friendly as one can be while poking a stranger with a throbbing hard-on._

_Danny is still in his suit pants, the material is not very thick and the guy behind him is clearly not wearing heavy-thread jeans either, because now that he’s paying attention, he can clearly make out the outline of the guy’s erection pressing against his lower back. Making eye-contact, it takes Danny about five seconds to decide that the guy is not a potential threat and just looking for a good time and he returns the man’s smile with a nod and smile of his own. His right hand comes up and grabs the back of the guys head, pulling it towards him, while the other hand loosens the iron grip he has had on the man’s hip and slinks down to grab the back of his upper thigh, fingers just ghosting below the man’s firm butt._

_The kiss is demanding and has just the right amount of nipping and teasing that Danny craves right now. The stranger winds one of his arms around Danny’s front, placing his open palm flat on his upper stomach, while the other arm is resting against his hip bone, the guy’s fingers softly trailing just above the waist of his pants. His shirt has ridden up a bit, exposing a small section of his toned stomach and part of his happy trail. The guy’s fingers keep returning to the fine line of hair, caressing his skin, fingers dipping lower and then retracting._

_The man’s intention is clear but he being considerate and respectful, his kisses hold the promise of a very talented tongue and every time his beard scratches across Danny’s face he can feel his toes trying to curl inside his dress shoes. He has never been much into beards before, but tonight he can hardly get enough of the roughness. Danny decides he really needs him to trail his tongue down his stomach, amongst other things, and he decides to move things forward by letting go of the guy’s thigh, moving his left hand over the still caressing fingers, gently nudging them down and, once they are hovering above his crotch, pushing the man’s palm against him, so that they are both cupping his erection. Danny bucks up his hips just a little, to get more friction and make the statement he is trying to make even clearer and for the first time he feels his dance-partner losing some of his control, hears the sharp intake of breath just before he gently bites down on Danny’s lower lip and feels the slight jerk of the man’s hips behind him._

_The guy breaks the kiss, hand still pressed firmly against Danny, and they look at each other to make sure they are both on the same page. “Danny”, Danny breathes out, tilting his head and giving a meaningful nod towards the area of the club that contains the darkroom. The guy nods, tightening his grip on Danny and breath hitching in his throat. “Tyler”, he rasps out and now that they’ve exchanges pleasantries – Danny never has sex with someone he can’t put a name to, even if it’s a fake one -, Danny needs to get this guy in him like yesterday. Or the other way around, he really isn’t picky, as long as they can finally get naked. The guy – Tyler – decides to take charge, grabbing Danny’s hand and leading him towards the darkroom. His grip is firm and as soon as they are in the area, Danny is suddenly being pushed against the wall and kissed almost breathless. Tyler’s fingers are scrambling across his chest to open his shirt buttons, and once he’s finished ridding him of the shirt his mouth is all over Danny’s chest, worrying at his nipples, scratching against his abs and further down to the really sensitive skin above his pelvis. His belt is unbuckled and his pants are pushed down, one large hand suddenly placed flat on his lower abdomen to push him back against the wall while the other is playing with his balls. A condom appears out of nowhere and Danny arches when Tyler rolls it across his straining penis, the slight touch almost enough to unhinge him, and then all he knows is heat, because Tyler just goes down on him and swallows him almost whole without warning and yeah, it’s good that the man is keeping such a firm grip on Danny because he can hardly stop himself from thrusting forward._

_Tyler suddenly looks up at him and the part of Danny’s brain that is not currently floating in orgasmic spaces because of the spectacular blowjob is wondering why he thought Tyler’s eyes were grey, because in these new lighting conditions they are definitely green. Danny groans and his hands shoot forward to keep Tyler’s face still, pulling him away from his erection. He is trembling and really close to coming and he doesn’t want to yet, hoping that Tyler will understand him without words because all his mouth is capable of is uttering choked sobs and groans right now. Tyler grins and nods, and suddenly Danny becomes aware that there is someone watching them. Tyler follows his gaze and the beginning frown smoothes out when he obviously recognizes the lanky guy leaning against the wall about a foot away from them. He tilts his neck towards the new guy and his eyes dart between them and they are obviously becoming experts at nonverbal communication because Danny can immediately tell what he is asking. Instead of being put out about it, like he would be normally, the idea of adding a third person to the party sends another jolt through his entire body and he nods. Tyler’s eyes light up – green, definitely green – and he crushes his lips against Danny’s once more, his hand reaching out to pull the third guy in._

_The guy is a bit younger than both Tyler and Danny and smells like an intoxicating combination of herbs and spices. Somehow Danny suddenly finds himself wedged in between the two of them, Tyler pressed against his back, his chin once again nuzzling Danny’s neck, while the new guy leans in to place a soft kiss on the other side Danny’s neck. The combination of rough stubble on one side and soft, feathery kisses on the other is proving to be a sensory overload that Danny can’t handle and he drags his right hand through the guy’s hair, pulling him back to get a closer look at his boyish face, warm hazel eyes, and the moles on his skin. Where Tyler is ruggedly handsome, this guy is really cute and something about seeing the two of them together tugs at Danny’s mind, but he ignores it in favor of pressing his nose against the other man’s neck, inhaling his spicy scent and pulling him closer._

_In between kisses he learns that new guy’s name is Dylan and he and Tyler seem to know each other quite well, because they move almost in synch, as if they’ve done this many times before. When Danny rasps “Fuck me”, Tyler turns him around so he is facing him, moving forward to capture his lips in another kiss, then pulling him in so Danny’s face is resting on his shoulder while his lips move over his neck. Danny hears Dylan flip open a bottle-cap and gentle fingers trail down his spine before they retreat and come back coated in lube, this time trailing his hole, before gently pushing in. Danny wills himself to let go of the rest of his tension, a process enabled by Tyler, whose lips are still caressing him, his hands stroking up and down his sides, his chest, everywhere he can reach in motions that almost qualify as a sensual massage._

_Danny breathes in his scent, his hands holding on to Tyler’s hips as he takes one, two, and then three of Dylan’s fingers. The fingers withdraw and Dylan turns him sideways, giving him a perfect view when Dylan takes out a condom and drops to his knees in front of Tyler, playfully giving his shaft a quick stroke with his tongue before rolling on the condom. Like Danny before him, Tyler cards his fingers through Dylan’s hair and he pulls him back up, pulling him in for a kiss. Throughout all of this, both of them keep one hand on Danny and when they break apart Tyler gently turns Danny around, nudging him towards Dylan, who leans back against the wall and unbuttons his pants, pushing them down to his ankles._

_His penis is hard and peaking out of the top of his boxers and Danny reaches down to free it, giving him a couple of firm strokes. But then Tyler is entering him and as he begins to set a swift, hard pace, Danny gives up on his hand-coordination, shamelessly rutting against Dylan’s stomach instead. Dylan’s hands are placed firmly on his hips, keeping him steady and pulling him towards him with each thrust. When his teeth bite down on Danny’s lower lip at the same time that Tyler angles his thrust just right, Danny comes so hard that his vision whitens out for a second. His face drops onto Dylan’s shoulder and he is clenching around Tyler. Dylan cranes his neck so he can kiss Tyler and Danny feels the older man stiffen before he comes with a hoarse cry that’s only partially muffled by Dylan’s mouth. Tyler slumps down against Danny’s back, pushing him against Dylan’s stomach and he can feel the younger man’s erection pulsating against him and he knows that’s not fair and that something should be done about this, only he doesn’t even feel like he can move his head from Dylan’s shoulder. But then Tyler is gently pulling out of him and his strong hands are moving Danny just a bit to the side. He kneels down in front of Dylan and suddenly Danny is very interested in moving his head, because he definitely needs to watch this._

_Proving his theory that Dylan and Tyler are well acquainted, Tyler foregoes the condom and just takes Dylan into his mouth like that, taking him so deep that his nose is nudging against Dylan’s happy trail and Danny’s spent cock gives a small twitch because he remembers what that felt like. Tyler looks up at Dylan through his thick lashes and he swallows around him and then Dylan is coming, his back arching away from the wall and his neck straining backwards and it’s the hottest thing Danny has seen in a long time._

_Tyler gently tugs Dylan back into his boxers before getting up and kissing him. Dylan melts into him – at this point Danny is certain that they are lovers – and his mind is suddenly screaming at him to make the connection but it takes until Tyler raises his hand and gently caresses a mole on Dylan’s cheek that it suddenly clicks into place._

_All of a sudden he feels cold, and it’s not because he is mostly undressed at this point. He pulls his pants back up and his eyes dart to his discarded shirt on the ground. He decides he’d rather not take a closer look at the state of it and pulls it on quickly, partly relieved that he cannot feel any stickiness. He becomes aware of Dylan and Tyler watching him and when he meets their eyes he is taken aback by the mirroring looks of confusion and concern that replace their blissful post-orgasmic expressions when they get a closer look at his face._

_Danny tries to smile at them. It probably looks like a grimace and he forces himself to stutter “Thanks … I have to go” before he basically sprints away from them, making a beeline for his jacket that he left back at the entrance and then he’s standing outside, signaling for a cab._

_The cab-driver, an old guy, is silent and mostly ignores him, probably disapproving of his lifestyle if the furrowed brows are any indication, but Danny doesn’t have time to think about it, because he feels horribly guilty._

_Dylan and Tyler were probably the best club hook-up he’s ever had, probably the best hook-up he’s ever going to get in his life and he feels horrible for bailing on them like this after they were so gentle and passionate with him._

_That’s probably their thing, Danny figures, finding a guy at the club who looks like he needs to take his mind off things and then making him feel like he is the most special fucking man on the planet._

_It was unfair of him to run away from them looking like they’ve just killed his puppy, after all, it’s not their fault that they could pass as Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski doppelgangers._

_Nope, it’s Danny’s fault, for being in way over his head and doing a spectacular job of not handling it at all._

That night, sleep doesn’t come easy, even though he is completely exhausted and Danny ends up tossing and turning until almost 5 am, before finally falling asleep for about four hours. When he wakes up, he slowly trudges into his bathroom, admiring the bags under his eyes before splashing his face with water.

He feels dehydrated and so he decides to skip his morning coffee, grabbing a bottle of that expensive German sparkling water before making himself comfortable on the couch. He turns on the television and dozes on and off throughout the afternoon. He orders Thai take-out around 5 pm and he has just finished his food when his phone rings. He’s expecting it to be Jackson, who has a habit of checking in on him on his day off to make sure he is actually relaxing, but the caller ID that flashes at him says Derek Hale and suddenly he is tense once again.

He picks it up and says: “Congressman? Is anything the matter?” but the voice answering him is not Hale. It’s Stiles, and he sounds terrible. “Danny? Hey, this is Stiles. I’m sorry to be calling you on your day off, and I’m sure the local police could handle it but … it’s just that … can you please come down here? We really need your help.”

Danny’s training snaps into place and he pushes his unwanted emotions aside, his voice firm and professional when he orders Stiles to tell him what’s wrong.

Two minutes later he is out of the door and racing towards his car, speed-dialing his superior to inform him where he is going and what’s going on. His fingers are clutching the steering wheel in an iron grip as he steers the car towards the village where Hale’s younger sister and her family live.

This simply cannot be happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get more dangerous and tense for Danny and the Stilinski-Hales. 
> 
> Next up: We meet the really upset rest of the Hale family and Chris Argent decides it's time to make a political statement.


	3. The One Where Things Escalate Quickly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following an act of vandalism at Derek's nephew's Christening, things escalate quickly and Danny realizes just how dangerous life is becoming for the Hale family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for some violence and some religious/political content. Don't like, please don't read.

Danny manages to drive the distance to Beacon Rocks in just a little over an hour. Normally it would take at least two hours to get there, but he is on official Secret Service duty and thus authorized to break the speed limit. Lydia Martin is attending a function of some sorts in a town about twenty minutes away from Beacon Rocks and so he calls Jackson when he is about halfway there. Considering the obvious panic in Stiles’ voice when he called and his frantic, very much not coherent explanation that followed, Danny is not a hundred percent sure about what to expect once he reaches Cora Hale’s house, but he feels better knowing that Jackson is prepared to join him as backup. Under pressure Jackson drives even faster than Danny does, so he can be there in no time.

Beacon Rocks is a small town with barely 2000 inhabitants and Cora and her husband Isaac live in a beautiful old house at the edge of the woods. Their next-door neighbors actually live about a mile away, which is why no one noticed the crime taking place until it was too late. When Danny pulls up to the house he is struck by the serenity of the place, the beauty of the home and the calming atmosphere of the nature surrounding it. Of course peace and calm is about the farthest from everybody’s mind right now and his gut twists when he takes in the full damage.

While the Hale party was at the church for the Christening of Cora and Isaac’s newborn son, their home was completely vandalized. Rocks have been thrown through all of the lower story windows and some particularly gifted thrower even managed to smash the beautiful balcony window upstairs which Danny assumes leads to the master bedroom. What looks like the contents of at least two big garbage containers has been scattered across what used to be a beautiful front lawn and carefully trimmed flowerbeds, and the smell hits Danny even through his rolled up windows. Most damning of all is the message that has been spray-painted on the garage door, large enough that Danny can read it from where he is sitting in the car.

It says “Filthy Fag-Enablers” and for a moment Danny wonders if that religious hate-group from Topeka had anything to do with it, since it certainly sounds like their rhetoric. However, Danny is quite sure that the fact that almost all of them seem to be lawyers rules them out as culprits, as they are always very careful when it comes to conflicts with the law.

Shaking himself out of his small stupor – he really needs to get a grip on his reaction time when it comes to homophobic attacks on houses or iron gates it seems – Danny grabs his gun, makes sure the safety is on and then exits the car, quickly surveying his surroundings for any signs of the perpetrators. Finding none, he schools his features into stern compassion as he walks towards the Hale family.

At first he can barely make out anything they are saying, as everybody seems to be either talking, screaming, or crying, but the closer he gets the better he can assess the situation. Stiles is frantically talking into his phone, his long arms gesturing wildly, and from what Danny overhears it seems as if he is trying to keep his father, a Sheriff in a small town in California, from jumping on the next plane to D.C. He is standing next to a grim-faced older man – Derek’s father, Danny assumes – who is holding a squirming, sobbing baby. The child can obviously sense how upset everybody is and his grandfather is almost mechanically stroking his head, his attention clearly focused on his daughter. A beautiful young woman is pacing in front of the house, tearing at her hair and screaming obscenities, while a young man with curly hair and a devastated expression on his face is trying to calm her down. Angry tears are streaming down the woman’s face, so similar to Derek’s in features and expression.

An older woman and a blonde woman, Derek’s mother and older sister, are standing next to a police cruiser. Laura Hale is furiously talking to the local police officers, aggressively gesturing towards the house and Danny watches, fascinated, as Talia Hale puts a hand on her oldest’ shoulder, which immediately calms her down. Her entire demeanor reminds Danny of Derek Hale in Congress and he is both in awe and a little afraid of her at the same time. Leaving them to their discussion, Danny searches for the Congressman, the man’s safety being his first priority at the moment.

Friends and extended family members are gathered in small groups and all of them seem to be torn between shock and fury at the sight in front of them. When Danny steps closer he can actually make out little penises that have been spray-painted all over the wooden panels of Cora’s home and he winces, hoping against hope that the children present don’t really understand what is going on. He turns to the side and suddenly spots Derek, who is standing about five meters away from everybody.

Danny briskly walks towards him, making eye contact with Stiles as he passes him and Stiles tries to throw him a grateful smile that comes out as more of a pained grimace. Danny nods in acknowledgement and approaches Derek, who is staring at his sister’s home, his shoulders tense and his spine stiff. When Danny steps next to him he turns his head and for a fleeting second Danny sees behind the mask, sees how lost, helpless, and utterly devastated Hale must feel. His fingers twitch at his sides, yearning to reach out and grasp Hale’s shoulder in support, but before he can move his arm Derek morphs into his controlled Whip persona and the look in his eyes is so cold that Danny is glad he didn’t touch him.

“I want you to make sure my husband gets back to our home safely. I want all-around security for our home installed immediately. I want you to find the sons of bitches that did this to my sister – today of all days – and bring them to me so I can rip their throats out myself.”

The last comes in a seething whisper and for one moment Danny is almost sure Hale is serious, but then the man’s shoulders slump and he looks towards his younger sister, who has stopped her pacing and fallen to her knees right in the middle of a big pile of garbage. Cora’s shoulders are shaking as she sobs loudly, her face hidden behind her hands. The anger on Hale’s face is replaced by pain and he looks towards the house again, taking in the destruction and the hateful words and crude images painted all over the property.

Danny coughs to get his attention. “Sir, I’m afraid I have to insist that both your husband and you accompany me back to D.C. immediately. Preparations for twenty-four hour surveillance of your home are already under way, I informed the director as soon as your husband called me. I can make sure that the local police will have assistance in finding the people who are responsible for this, but right now, I need you to come back to D.C. with me.”

Derek grabs the bridge of his nose and pinches, his brows furrowing and he exhales deeply. “I guess there’s nothing I can do about that”, he says and Danny gives him a sympathetic look. “I’m afraid staying here is too dangerous for you right now”, he confirms.

Hale nods and then walks towards the rest of his family. His first stop is at the police cruiser and there is a quick, tense exchange between the officer and the Congressman. Danny steps a bit closer when he sees the looks of mutual dislike on both men’s faces, his worries for the Congressman’s safety not in the least lessened by the fact that he is talking to a police officer. He keeps watching as Laura wraps her arms around her younger brother, pulling him tightly towards her in a firm hug. She is whispering something in his ear and Hale squeezes her shoulder in return, before gently kissing her forehead and moving towards his mother.

Danny is once more impressed by Talia Hale’s composure, marveling at the way Derek seems to melt into his mother’s touch when she hugs him and strokes his hair. The look on her face is made of steel, like a fierce mother bear protecting her cubs, but the touch is comforting and when Derek pulls back to say something to her, Danny could swear his lips are shaking just the tiniest bit. He turns away to give the Congressman some privacy, once again searching the parameter for potential threats. This time he notices two men standing about three meters away from Derek’s father and the baby. They are whispering furiously, are probably enraged members of the Christening party, but something about them has Danny on edge and he keeps a close eye on them as Hale finally walks towards Cora, who is still kneeling in a pile of garbage.

When he reaches her, Hale bends down, careful not to touch the spoilt food that is threatening to soil his pants and he gently hooks his arms under Cora’s shoulders and pulls her upright, steering her away from the pile and towards Isaac, who immediately pulls her into an embrace. Derek apparently tries to apologize to Cora and Danny winces when she starts shrieking at him.

“What the hell are you sorry for? This is not your fault. This is nobody’s fault but the sick, twisted _fucks_ that came here today, on my _baby_ ’ _s_ big day, to mess with our family. No one messes with my family, Derek, no one!”

It doesn’t seem to matter whether they are covered in dirt, grime, or tears, Hale women are incredibly forceful and intimidating, Danny notes appreciatively.

The youngest of the Hales underlines her statement by pulling her big brother into a hug, telling him that he better win the election and make the haters choke on their poisonous words until they are foaming at the mouth and twitching on the ground. Danny is definitely impressed with Cora’s imagination and he turns towards Stiles, who has finished his phone call and is now standing next to Derek’s father with a lost, heartbroken look on his face. Danny suddenly remembers that this is probably the first time he has witnessed something like this, given Hale’s efforts to shield him from the hate targeted against them for the past couple of years. His heart goes out to the younger man and he is grateful when Derek’s father wraps an arm around his son-in-law’s shoulders and offers silent comfort.

The two men standing near them have stopped their heated discussion and are now looking at the house in stoic silence and Danny is almost ready to believe that they are harmless, but his hand gravitates towards his gun nevertheless. He tenses when Derek approaches his father and husband, but the men seem too focused on the house to notice them. Danny joins the Congressman and positions himself so that he is shielding him from the man – he has always trusted his instincts and although they do not seem to pose a threat, Danny will be much happier once Hale and Stilinski are safely seated in the back of his car.

Meanwhile, Derek’s father has pulled his son into a one-armed hug and Derek grips his dad’s shoulder tightly in return. He turns to Stiles to tell him they are going back to D.C. and Stiles nods, his expression grim but understanding. Danny has never seen such a serious expression on the man’s face and it’s definitely not a good look for him. He watches as Stiles raises Derek’s balled fist to his mouth and kisses his knuckles, then drops his hand to walk towards Danny’s car.

Danny sighs internally, he really needs to sit Stiles down and give him the Bodyguard 101 crash-course, but he cannot see any sudden movements in the crowd and releases the breath he has been holding when Stiles reaches his car and gets into the backseat without an incident. Derek, meanwhile, has turned back towards his father and is now holding the baby, his nose pressed into the soft tuft of hair on the little boy’s head. Danny’s skills at lip-reading once again come in handy and he can tell that Derek is apologizing to his nephew, despite the fact that the child will have no memory of this day. The baby has finally calmed down and is looking at his uncle in confusion and when Derek presses a soft kiss to the boy’s head, Danny allows himself to feel the briefest surge of fury. Vandalizing Cora Hale’s house and threatening the family because one of them is gay and happens to be an important member of Congress is bad enough, but doing it on a day that celebrates an innocent baby is just adding insult to injury.

Hale is about to hand the baby back to his father when a middle-aged woman bursts out of a group of nearby guests and throws a large rock at the Congressman. The rock hits Hale on the back of his head and the force of the impact jerks him forward as he falls to his knees, his grip on the baby hard enough that the child starts screaming again. Out of the corner of his eye Danny sees the two men on the right moving towards them and he whips out his gun, stepping in front of Hale so that he is standing between him and the three attackers. Danny really doesn’t want to fire his gun so close to the sensitive ears of the baby and he yells “Stand back or I will shoot”, eyes fixed on all three of them.

The two men drop the rocks they were holding and there are twin looks of disgust on their faces. The woman shrieks: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination”, but before she can move forward the police officer from the cruiser has already tackled her to the ground, leaving Danny to deal with the men, who silently follow his order to drop to their knees with their hands behind their hands. The second police officer, who was taking pictures of the Hale home when Danny last saw him, appears from the side and handcuffs the larger of the two men, while another member of the Hale family, Derek’s uncle Peter if Danny is not mistaken, has stepped behind the other man and twisted his arms behind his back.

The woman is still shrieking as she is forced into the back of the police cruiser, yelling about the Bible, the Book of Leviticus, and putting the homosexuals to death by stoning. The second police officer is escorting the larger of the two men away from the scene and Danny keeps his gun trained on the second man, not trusting Peter to be able to keep him under control but not wanting to leave his shielding position of the Congressman either. He throws a quick glance towards Hale, who is breathing heavily and hunched over, noticing with relief that Derek’s father has taken the baby, who is still screaming. There are panicked Hales and one very frantic Stilinski running towards them from every direction and Danny yells at the other guests to step back, making it possible for him to focus both on the man in front of him and his surroundings, in case another threat arises.

The second man is smirking at Danny, seemingly unfazed by the tight grip Peter Hale has on him and his tongue darts out to wet his lips before he speaks, sneer evident in his face and in his voice. “Are you one of them cocksuckers, too? You are, aren’t you? You look the type.” Behind him, Peter Hale lets out an enraged snarl and his arm thrusts out to wrap around the kneeling man’s neck, effectively choking him.

“Sir! You need to stop that right now!” Danny barks out in alarm, and Peter fixes him with a furious glare, before he grudgingly releases his tight hold on the man’s neck. Before things can escalate any further the first police officer is back and handcuffs the second man. He pulls him up roughly and drags him towards the cruiser and Danny can finally turn around to focus on Hale, who is surrounded by his entire family and effectively shielded from view.

He is no longer kneeling, but lying on the ground, his head cradled in Stiles’ lap. Stiles is stroking his hair as if in a daze and Danny notices with a start that the man is kneeling in a puddle of his husband’s blood. Danny knows that head wounds tend to bleed a lot, but he definitely doesn’t like the way Hale’s normally tanned skin has turned almost ashen. “Has someone called 911 yet?” he asks and immediately yanks out his phone to place the call himself when the Hale family regards him with mirroring looks of shock and disbelief. The next call Danny makes is to Jackson, telling his best friend to get his ass to the Hale property as quickly as possible, while he drops down next to Hale’s prone figure and checks his pulse. It’s not as strong as he would like and he tells Stiles to put pressure on the wound to stop the blood flow. Stiles looks at him like he is speaking a foreign language and so Danny moves closer until he is kneeling in the Congressman’s blood as well, his hands joining Stiles’ under Derek’s head and pressing down onto what he assumes is the wound from the rock’s impact.

There is only a slight tremor in his voice when he starts speaking to the Congressman, trying to keep him awake and noticing with growing concern that Derek’s eyes slip shut for longer and longer periods of time. Danny is certain that Hale has at least a concussion and that means he definitely mustn’t lose consciousness, but it seems to be a losing battle and by the time the ambulance pulls up in front of the house, Hale is no longer moving, the blood still flowing over Danny’s hands.

Danny has no idea how his best friend has managed to pull it off, but he almost wants to cry out with relief when Jackson’s car roars onto the pavement and stops next to the ambulance with screeching tires while the EMTs are loading Hale into the ambulance. Jackson’s arrival saves Danny from having to leave Stiles unprotected. His friend takes one look at the scene, exchanges a glance with Danny and then climbs into the ambulance to oversee the Congressman’s transfer to the hospital and setting up security measures once he arrives there. Talia Hale wordlessly climbs in after him, her look challenging everybody to get between her and her injured child and luckily for everyone involved no one stops her.

Danny is half expecting Stiles to demand to join them as well, but when he looks down, the younger man is still kneeling on the bloody ground. He is staring at his red hands with a mixture of shock and horror and Danny suddenly remembers the file he got before he was assigned to Hale, remembers the passage that described Stilinski’s past with panic attacks. As if on cue the man’s shoulders start to shake and he begins breathing erratically. His hands drop towards the ground and he frantically paws at the puddle of blood as wheezing sounds escape him.

Danny is dimly aware of the baby still screaming and the way the older Hales are moving away to give them space when he kneels down in front of Stiles, tilting the man’s chin up with one hand and gripping his shoulder tightly with the other. “Sir, I need you to calm down”, he says, his grip reassuring and Stiles’ eyes are focused on his, the panic in them unmistakable. A shaking hand – Laura’s – is suddenly thrusting a blue paper bag at him and it fills Danny with bitter regret when he realizes that the bag is obviously a gift-bag that the Hales were planning to hand out to the party guests at the end of the Christening celebration. He quickly holds the bag towards Stiles’ mouth and instructs him to breath into it, hoping that this old remedy will work on the Congressman’s husband.

Stiles’ breathing slowly evens out and Danny can tell that he is gradually becoming aware of his surroundings again. When he does, his hands shoot out to grab Danny’s jacket and he all but hauls Danny to his feet in his attempt to get away from the blood.

“I need you to take me to my husband right now. We need to go to the hospital.” Stiles demands and Danny casts a questioning look at the other Hales. Derek’s father raises his eyebrow and Danny nods, indicating for him to follow Stiles’ lead, as the younger man all but sprints towards Danny’s BMW.

As Danny pulls out of the driveway, a second police car arrives, followed by a news truck. Danny groans and places a quick call to Jackson, to alert him to be on the lookout for reporters. His next call is to his superior and while he listens to his boss’ yelling at him for this “clusterfuck of a situation”, Danny’s eyes switch between the street and the hunched form of Stiles’ in the rearview-mirror, or rather, the silent tears that are slowly streaming down his blood-streaked cheeks.

******************

When they reach the hospital a news truck is already parked in front of the entrance and Danny curses under his breath. Mr. Hale, a former lawyer for the hospital, directs Danny to one of the less used back entrances. Danny has barely put the car into park when Stiles is already unbuckling himself and with a sigh Danny activates the child-lock, essentially trapping the distraught man in the car.

“Sir,” he explains patiently, “I cannot allow you to barge in there alone without my protection, so I need you to wait until I make sure it is safe for you to exit the car and enter the hospital.” Stiles looks like he wants to argue and Mr. Hale puts a reassuring hand on his forearm, telling him to listen to Danny.

After everything that has happened Danny is hyperaware of his surroundings when he exits the car and his relief that their arrival has been undetected is short-lived when he sees a blonde reporter running around the corner, her cameraman in tow. Danny moves fast, unlocking the car for Stiles and his father and quickly ushering them into the hospital, where he instructs one of the facility’s security people to guard the entrance. He knows that the news people probably got at least a couple of good shots of Stiles’ blood-smeared pants, his hands, and his tear-streaked face, as well as the blood on Danny’s light blue jeans.

He can hear the reporters arguing with the security man outside and quickly steers Stiles and Derek’s father away from the entrance, pulling out his phone to ask Jackson where the Congressman is being treated. A nurse directs him towards the waiting area, where Talia Hale is sitting in one of the plastic chairs. When she sees Stiles she stands up and opens her arms, and much like Derek Stiles allows himself to melt into her embrace, his face tucked into the crook of her neck. Another tidbit from Stiles’ file springs to Danny’s mind and he remembers that Stiles lost his mother when he was very young. It is obvious that he has completely adopted Talia as a surrogate mother and the feeling is clearly mutual. 

“How is Derek?” asks Mr. Hale and Talia sighs, her fingers carding through Stiles’ matted hair in a soothing gesture. “His vitals are holdings steady under the circumstances, but they took him in for a CT-scan because he wasn’t waking up, they think there might be some hemorrhage,” she explains, tightening her hold on Stiles when the man whimpers against her shoulder.

Danny decides to give them some privacy and walks outside the waiting room to find Jackson, who is guarding the entrance to the exam room down the hall with a very unhappy expression.

“Damn it Danny!” he exhales when Danny comes closer. “I had to basically lock Lydia into a hotel room when you first called me because she demanded we go and support Hale and Stilinski immediately. She is super pissed at me and I don’t even know how badly she is going to freak out when she sees all that blood on the news.” Danny really can’t find it in him to feel compassion for Congresswoman Martin right now and pointedly looks towards the closed exam room door instead.

Jackson’s expression softens and he sighs. “They are doing the CT-scan right now and based on what I overheard I think Hale might have to go into surgery.”

As if on cue the door to the exam room opens and a grim-faced doctor exits. He looks at the two agents as if to make sure what the procedure is for such a high-risk patient and Jackson volunteers to stay as Hale is prepped for surgery, as well as guarding the door to the OR. Hale is still unconscious when he is wheeled into the hall and towards the OR and Danny prays that he will pull through without complications. The alternative is just not acceptable.

He follows the doctor, a middle-aged man whose nametag reads Alan Deaton to the waiting room, where Cora, Isaac, Laura, and Peter have joined Talia, her husband, and Stiles. Danny listens as Deaton quietly explains to the Hale family that Derek has suffered some intracranial hemorrhage from the large rock’s impact and needs surgery to drain the blood and reduce the pressure on his brain. Deaton is cautiously optimistic that Derek will make a full recovery, given how quickly he was admitted to the hospital and the fact that the hemorrhaging area seems to be rather small, but none of the Hales look particularly relieved.

Danny doesn’t want to intrude and so he steps outside, his eyes sweeping up and down the hospital corridor to make sure that no journalist can take advantage of the moment and take pictures of the Congressman’s family. He is reasonably sure the day cannot get any worse when his phone rings. His boss is on the other line to tell him that Chris Argent is headed to the hospital right now to give a press conference and Danny reconsiders his former assessment. Yes, the day can get worse and one minute later he gets a text message from Jackson that just says “Oh boy.”

Hale is still in surgery when Chris Argent waltzes up to the waiting room with a thunderous expression. He is escorted by his own security detail and Danny stiffly nods to acknowledge Ethan and Aiden Carver. Until now he has never met them in person but the twins are sort of a legend in the Service, with many speculating that they used to be Navy Seals in the past. Going against every regulation to let family members serve with each other, the twins have proven themselves to be the most effective when they work as a team, using their similar looks to their advantage to confuse potential attackers and fighting as if one was an extension of the other. Their features are harsh and intimidating and Danny isn’t surprised that Argent has requested them for his protection.

Argent doesn’t pay any attention to Danny when he walks past him into the waiting room and Danny is not surprised.

As a former arms dealer and widower, Argent is a somewhat unconventional Democrat and unconventional presidential candidate. Raised as the heir to Gerard Argent’s weapon factory, Argent was fairly apolitical until fifteen years ago when his wife, a high school teacher, was shot the day a mentally disturbed student came to school with a gun and killed fifteen students and three teachers, before pointing the gun at himself. Two weeks after her death Argent stepped in front of the press with his then twelve-year old daughter Allison, holding her tiny hand tightly in his fist when he announced that he was resigning from the weapons business to run for Congress, wanting to make sure his daughter would grow up in a world where she wouldn’t have to be afraid that lax gun control laws could claim her life. Moved by the man’s personal tragedy the people elected Argent to Congress in a landslide win and he quickly became the shooting star of the party, his political success and his sizeable personal fortune making his run as presidential candidate almost inevitable.

Danny’s thoughts wander back to the present as he watches Argent immediately walk up to Stiles Stilinksi and grip his hand in a firm handshake. Argent knows what it feels like to wait in a hospital room while one’s partner is fighting for their life because of hateful violence and judging by his stiff posture this is bringing back a lot of painful memories for him. His back is turned towards Danny and he cannot make out what Argent is saying to Stiles, but the younger man presses his lips together and nods, his face pale but determined. A movement from the corner of his eye catches Danny’s attention, but it is just Doctor Deaton, still in his scrubs from surgery but with a small smile on his face. Danny allows him entrance and he can almost taste the relief in the room when Deaton announces that the surgery went well and Derek is expected to make a full recovery. Deaton allows Stiles to accompany him and Danny follows, still looking for potential news reporters that have breached the hospital’s security.

Derek is hooked to all sorts of machines to monitor his vitals, but his heartbeat looks steady and he is breathing on his own, which Danny takes to be a good sign. It takes about three more hours until Derek is fully awake and Danny breathes a sigh of relief when Hale obviously recognizes his husband. His big hand grips Stiles’ in a weak grasp and Stiles kisses his wrist, his palm, and his knuckles, silent tears of relief running down his face. Derek’s gaze sweeps over the bloody clothes and the blood that Stiles still hasn’t from his face and Stiles quickly reassures him that he is fine, his trembling fingers coming up to gently trace Hale’s cheekbones. The Congressman’s head is tightly wrapped in a bandage and his eyes are still a bit dulled from the medication, but he forces himself to focus when Argent enters the room.

Stiles quickly makes room for the presidential candidate and Argent quietly speaks to Derek apparently repeating what he said to Stiles earlier, because Derek also gives the tiniest of nods. After Argent has left the room Derek’s eyes are slowly slipping shut again, and Danny steps outside, giving the men their privacy. Jackson is waiting for him in front of the ICU, his eyes trained on the big television hanging from the ceiling and together they watch as Chris Argent steps in front of the gathered press outside the hospital.

The expression on the candidate’s face is grim and determined and Danny marvels at the authority Argents radiates even through the television screen when he opens his mouth to speak.

“I am standing in front of you today because my highly respected colleague, Congressman Derek Hale, was attacked at the Christening of his little nephew Daniel this afternoon, following a despicable act of vandalism targeted towards his younger sister. It is on a day like this that I must question our current leaders’ decision not to include homosexuals in the list of potential hate-crime victims, as this is clearly what has taken place today.

Using words and methods taken straight from the Old Testament, three hate-mongers chose to attack Congressman Hale while he was carrying his four months old little nephew, not only injuring him, but also seriously threatening the physical well-being of the baby, which could have been fatally injured had the rock hit his tiny head. The Congressman is currently resting after having undergone emergency surgery and he is expected to make a full recovery, but make no mistake, this day could have ended in a great tragedy – a tragedy not only for the Hale family, who were celebrating a joyful, religious tradition, but also for the United States of America. I cannot imagine a single American who wants to live in a country where its citizens feel that it is in any way justified to endanger the life of a small baby, where it is socially acceptable to _stone_ a man for being in a loving, caring relationship with another consenting adult human being.

This is not the United States of America that Derek Hale and I want Daniel to grow up in. This is not the country where I want my daughter to raise my future grandchildren. And we will work hard to fight against something like this happening again, we will not stop until all Americans are considered equal in front of the law, and when I appoint Derek Hale as the first openly-gay Vice President of the United States, we and our voters will send a message to the world and to everyone in this country who is still reciting the Pledge of Allegiance without really paying attention to the words. This is indeed a nation with _liberty_ and _justice_ for _all_ , and I am proud to stand beside Congressman Derek Hale in our fight to make this country a better place.

Thank you.”

Jackson and Danny regard each other somberly.

He’s definitely got their votes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Up: 
> 
> With Hale having been officially announced as Chris Argent's running-mate, political tension rises in D.C. as the public and the media heatedly debate the attack on Derek in the aftermath of the near-tragedy. 
> 
> Danny reunites with an old friend when Erica Reyes comes to Washington ... and he really needs to learn how to tell Ethan and Aiden Carver apart.


	4. Danny Realizes He Needs a Distraction and Fast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With Hale having been officially announced as Chris Argent's running-mate, political tension rises in D.C. as the public and the media heatedly debate the attack on Derek in the aftermath of the near-tragedy.  
> Danny reunites with an old friend when Erica Reyes comes to Washington ... and he really needs to learn how to tell Ethan and Aiden Carver apart.

When Danny’s alarm blares on a sunny Friday morning almost two weeks after Derek was injured on his watch, he glares at the offending gadget, hitting the snooze button as he rolls onto his side and snuggles into the covers.

As far as Danny is concerned, he wants to stay in his blanket-cocoon forever, or at least until after the election. He thought he could handle homophobic attacks on a campaign trail, he really did, but his experiences with Erica Reyes do not even compare in the slightest to what the first three days with Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski were like.

Reyes, a happily married straight woman, did receive lots of conservative backlash for her support of same-sex marriage, but the protests directed towards her were never as hateful and especially never as violent as the things Hale has seemingly put up with on a regular basis for the past couple of years.

As a gay man himself, Danny, who was fortunate to grow up in a very progressive, loving family in a rather liberal neighborhood, is slowly reaching his own personal breaking point. When he closes his eyes he can still hear one of Hale’s attackers accuse him of being a cocksucker and the contempt and hate in his tone continues to give Danny chills. Of course he knew people like this existed, if nothing else his time with Erica taught him a valuable lesson on the subject, but it has never felt this personal before.

Not to mention the fact that this infatuation with both Derek and Stiles is still making his life miserable. Since the attack, he has jerked awake with a silent cry four times, panting heavily as he recovered from nightmares that included puddles of blood, lifeless, dead green eyes, and the hollow look on Stiles’ face, as he stared at him in silent accusation over the dead body of his husband.

Danny has never questioned his professionalism as much as he has in the past two weeks; in fact, he was almost ready to beg for a transfer in the first hours after the accident. He was certain the director would grant it to him, given the fact that he was not able to prevent Hale from getting hurt. However, Stiles, once he was finally sure that Derek was not going to die, had taken it upon himself to call Danny’s boss to praise Danny’s handling of the situation.

Danny had been standing in front of Hale’s hospital room while Stiles made the call, his face set in a grimace of disbelief, as he listened to Stiles’ account of the events, that differed so dramatically from Danny’s own self-assessment of the situation.

He was ready to protest, to ask Stiles for forgiveness when the man walked outside and fixed him with a calm and steady gaze for the first time since the attack, his words dying on his lips when Stiles enveloped him into a bear hug and whispered a watery thank you into his ears.

Stiles is obviously under the impression that Derek would have been murdered if Danny hadn’t arrived at the scene as quickly as he did and was able to stop the attack before it could turn deadly.

Danny doesn’t necessarily agree, but he can work with that. He wants them, wants them both, and if he can’t have them the way he would like to, he wants them to at least be safe. Protecting them is the only way he knows to make sure that remains the case.

The alarm rings again and Danny grudgingly gets up, shuffling to the shower with a big yawn.

Today is the day Hale is going to make his first public appearance since the accident and although everyone and their mother – in Derek’s case, a fiercely overprotective Talia Hale – are convinced that Derek should give himself more time to recover, considering he had minor brain surgery two weeks ago – well, as minor as brain surgery can be, Danny thinks with a snort – he is adamant to attend the funeral service scheduled for today.

Danny has to admit that it would be a crime to pass up a political opportunity as golden as this one, no matter how cynical it may sound to consider the death of a young woman as a political heaven-sent.

The woman – girl, really – a 20 year old African American student at Georgetown was attacked and killed by a 35 year old white supremacist on her way home from a late evening class. The man – monster, Danny thinks bitterly – is still refusing to talk to the police, but news speculations focus on him not having had an actual reason at all, except for the racist aspect.

Hale’s appearance at her funeral – one hate-crime victim honoring the memory of another hate-crime victim – is a brilliant move. It also means that Danny has been working overtime to make sure that there won’t be two coffins necessary.

After his shower he gets dressed quickly; he is on his way out the door to pick Hale up at the hospital, where he is more or less discharging himself today, when he gets a text that actually manages to brighten his mood a bit.

_Heard you and the Hotties are going to the funeral today – can’t wait to see your delectable ass again! XOXO_

Danny can’t help but grin as he gets into his car. Outside of the campaign trail Erica Reyes has literally no sense of tact and respectable behavior, but that’s part of the reason why Danny loved working with her. They had a good rapport when he was driving her all over Arizona and have loosely stayed in contact ever since. It makes sense that Erica would attend the funeral as well, given her reputation as a fierce opponent of discrimination. Discrimination, that she herself has been subjected to on a regular basis, even though one would think that no one, literally no one in the year 2016 would still blink an eye when a blonde, Caucasian woman and a Black man walk down the street holding hands.

Erica’s husband Boyd is from Mississippi, a small town filled with people who were against Obama becoming the first Black president because ‘then those Blacks will think they can do everything’ and people who walked out of _Love Actually_ because Keira Nightley married a Black man in the first five minutes of the movie. He is the strong, silent type, very cautious when meeting new people and carefully observing everyone before opening up. Danny can’t really blame him, considering the hostile environment he grew up in.

He hasn’t seen the two of them in almost half a year and he is really looking forward to it, although he wishes it were under better circumstances.

He turns on the radio and shakes his head when he realizes he is listening to a heated debate between the radio moderator and members of the audience about the attack at the Hale house.

With the exception of the poor dead girl, Hale’s almost murder by stoning and his subsequent announcement as Argent’s running mate to the ticket has been all that most members of the media have been talking about in the past two weeks.

While the more liberal media in the country have been focusing on the attack, screaming for justice and stronger hate-crime legislation, conservative voices in the country are frantic over the potential of an openly gay Vice-President. Between _700 Club_ host Pat Robertson heralding the United States’ impending fate as a crumpled mass on the garbage heap of history (just like the Romans and the Greek civilization, because they were clearly destroyed over their sodomizing ways and nothing else) and the Phelps nutjobs in Kansas actually putting up a website named www.godhatesfaghale.com, Danny has listened to about all the crazy he can handle in the past two weeks.

Congress has also been a rather tense place to be, as evidenced by Jackson’s almost daily need to eat chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream straight out of the tub because Lydia Martin got into such heated arguments with her colleagues that she was almost unbearable to be around.

Derek is widely respected among his own party and also among a significant portion of the House Republicans, due to his calm, intelligent, no-nonsense approach to politics and his refusal to submit to sexual stereotypes. Some of them may not agree with his lifestyle, but they respect his professionalism and dedication, which is why many people were quick to condemn the attack within hours of Hale’s hospitalization.

However, the fact that he is actually running for Vice-President puts many of the more conservative members of the House into a predicament, because their constituencies are expecting them to attack Hale for his sexuality, now more than ever. Hate-crime legislation has been widely contested even before it hit one of their own, and, according to Jackson, he has almost had to pull a nearly screeching Lydia Martin off of one of her colleagues, who declared that the attack on Derek wasn’t a hate crime and therefore didn’t demand action.

Martin is one of the sponsor of a bill that promises a wider definition of hate crimes and she has been all over the news for the past couple of days, getting into arguments with the other side and taking her frustrations out on poor Jackson afterwards.

Speaking of Jackson, Danny can’t count the ways in which he has appreciated his best friend these past two weeks. Despite his full schedule with Martin, Jackson has been there for Danny to talk to whenever he needed him and even carved out some free time to come spend with his best friend during their time off.

He is filled with a burst of affection when he pulls up in front of the hospital and sees Jackson standing outside, his gaze watchful as he searches the area for reporters. It’s his first full day off this week and instead of recuperating, he has decided to be Danny’s back up today. Danny gives him a tiny, but genuine smile when he walks up to him and Jackson grunts, his hands fidgeting with his belt.

“Five pounds!” he announces with a grimace and Danny cocks his eyebrow, his eyes following Jackson’s fingers, which are now squeezing into imaginary love handles.

“I gained five pounds this week alone, I thought our physically demanding job would balance out my stress-eating ways, but this is getting out of control,” Jackson whines and Danny rolls his eyes, not even bothering to support his somewhat vain friend in his pity-party.

Besides, he doubts that it’s even one pound, to his eyes Jackson still looks as fit as ever. Not that he has paid attention to Jackson’s physique before – well, not much at least.

Grinning, he pats Jackson on the back and instructs him to wait outside while he walks inside to get Hale and Stilinski.

They are already waiting for him at the nurses’ desk, shielded by hospital security and an agent, who is about to get off duty now that Danny has arrived to take over.

“Congressman,” he greets Hale and Hale nods. Next to him Stiles is the epitome of concern and slight frustration, his arm wrapped securely around Hale’s waist and his eyes fixed on the spot on his head where Danny knows the wound was.

“It’s good to see you again, Agent Mahealani,” Derek replies, his thank you hanging between them unspoken, but clearly visible in his expressive eyes.

“I still think you should call him Danny,” Stiles mutters, turning towards Danny and clasping his hands in a short but firm grip. “He just likes showing off because he can actually pronounce your last name, even though that’s ironic because he has yet to properly pronounce my first name and we have been together for quite some time,” he adds, and Danny is a little taken aback both by the somewhat insensitive dig at his Hawaiian roots and by the snappiness he hears in Stilinski’s voice.

Derek gives him a serious look and Stiles holds his husband’s gaze, expression almost petulant. Danny has clearly walked into some tension here, although considering the way Stiles’ gaze keeps returning to the head wound, it’s not hard to guess what they are arguing about. However, it does make his job more difficult, because he needs all of them to work as a team this afternoon.

“I will talk you through the safety procedures on our way to the cemetery. My colleague Agent Whittemore is waiting for us outside the building and he will assist me in guarding you today. There will, of course be more police protection at the site, but we are there exclusively for your safety. What happened at Daniel’s Christening will not happen again, at least not on my watch.”

Something flashes in Derek’s eyes at the mention of his nephew’s first name and Danny isn’t sure if that has to do with how bad Hale obviously still feels over the trauma his family went through or the fact that Danny actually cares enough to remember the baby’s name.

Stiles, meanwhile, seems to appreciate it, as his gaze softens a little and he pats Danny on the shoulder in silent thanks on their way out to the car.

 

**************

 

When they pull up to the cemetery, the place is already crawling with reporters and spectators. Danny feels bad for the family of the girl, but then again they more or less agreed to this media invasion of their daughter’s burial when members of the family started talking to news reporters the day after the tragedy happened.  

All of his instincts scream at him to quickly usher Hale into the secure area and away from the mass of people, but he knows that these shots of the Congressman are important and so he grits his teeth, shadowing Hale while Jackson is glued to Stiles’ side, as the couple make their way through the sea of reporters.

Danny can only imagine what this must look like to a casual observer. Hale’s voice is strong as ever, but his movements are slower, not as determined as they usually are. The shadows under his eyes speak of his ongoing recovery and exhaustion and Stiles’ hand never leaves the small of his back, the two of them presenting themselves as a united front against discrimination. It amazes Danny, who was seriously concerned that they weren’t going to pull it off, given the fact that there was stony silence in the car on the drive over here.

By the time they get to the burial site sweat is running down the back of Danny’s shirt, but nothing has happened so far and he allows himself to relax a little when the preacher starts talking. He takes in his surroundings automatically, his gaze drifting to Chris Argent, who is standing on the other side of the gravesite, flanked by the Carver twins. He hasn’t spoken to the press much, his message being that of silent solidarity. Surprised, Danny notices that Argent has actually brought his daughter Allison along, who is not that much older than the victim, now that Danny thinks about it. She is holding hands with a young man who, for a lack of a better term, reminds Danny of a puppy, and is leaning against his shoulder. There is a familiarity between them that suggests to Danny that Argent might actually become a grandfather during his potential run in office. A grandbaby in the White House would definitely be something America would love.

Out of the corner of his eye Danny can suddenly see someone staring at him and when he directs his gaze to the person in question he is surprised to see that it’s one of the Carver twins. He has no idea which one it is, but the look in the man’s eyes is appreciative and definitely interested. Danny nods curtly, not interested in engaging in any kind of flirting during a funeral.

When the service ends and condolences have been exchanged, Erica and Boyd make their way over to Argent and Derek, who are quietly talking with each other, shadowed by Jackson, Danny, and the Carver twins. “Hey Hot-Shot,” Erica grins at Danny, smacking a kiss on his cheek before turning to Derek and carefully giving him a hug. Danny is suddenly reminded that the two know each other, that Derek, in fact, offered a lot of telephone advice to Erica during her campaign, especially on days when homophobic protestors were getting to her too much.

Erica actually reaches up and ruffles Stiles’ hair when she greets him, the look on her face halfway serious and halfway playful.

“It’s nice to see you can be just as protective of Derek as he is of you, I was beginning to think that obsessive compulsive protection disorder was a one-sided thing in your relationship,” she says, gazing pointedly at Stiles’ hawk-like stance next to Derek. Stiles doesn’t even blink, his expression still stony and very much unlike him.

“You’d have thought so,” he says snarkily and when Derek actually flinches next to him Danny is quite certain that Stiles has been brought up to speed concerning the ‘gifts’ concerned citizens have been leaving in front of their home for the past years. He exchanges a look with Erica, who looks a bit taken aback by the hostility she can hear in Stiles’ voice. Danny beckons her over, whispering that they should definitely get drinks sometime soon so they can catch up on everything and she smiles appreciatively, nudging Boyd in the side. Her husband just nods at Danny and Danny shakes his hand briefly, before kissing Erica on the cheek and reminding her to text him a time that would be good for her.

As they make their exit, Danny coughs to get Stiles’ and Derek’s attention. “If it’s alright with you, I would suggest we leave this place as soon as possible,” he says, his suggestion not only motivated by security reasons but also by concern for the Congressman, who has begun to sweat. His eyes also look a little glazed over to Danny and he would really appreciate it if he could get Derek to sit down before the man keels over. “We are definitely alright with that,” Stiles answers, his arm wrapped around Hale’s waist, not quite holding him up but definitely prepared for it.

Argent and Derek say their goodbyes and the Carver twins escort Argent towards his car. Danny raises an eyebrow when Allison’s boyfriend gives Stiles a quick hug that actually manages to ease some of the tension in Stiles’ face. The two are obviously friends and Danny almost wants to laugh at just how interconnected the Washington elite seems to be. Once Argent is seated in his car, one of the twins turns towards Danny and winks at him, raising his hand in a small wave. Danny still has no idea what brought this behavior on and he suddenly wishes he knew which one of them it was so he could investigate this further. From the corner of his eye he sees Jackson rolling his eyes dramatically and Danny blushes, deciding that his friend is right and he should probably take care of his current crush(es) first before getting involved with someone else.

The car ride to the Hale-Stilinski residence is silent, but instead of hostility and exasperation all Danny can sense is concern and exhaustion. When they arrive at the house, Danny has to assist Stiles in actually lifting Derek out of the car, his own legs shaking too much to support him very well. Stiles’ mouth is a thin line when they half-carry Derek up to the master bedroom and Danny feels like an intruder more than ever when they enter the room and he catches sight of the comfortable looking king size bed. If Derek wasn’t still in such bad shape, Danny would actually be in danger of being very much aroused right now and he hopes his face doesn’t give anything away when he helps Stiles lower the older man on the bed.

“Thank you Danny, I can take it from here,” Stiles says and Danny swallows.

“Of course Sir, I will be waiting downstairs to go over the next day’s schedule with you,” he says, before hastily making his retreat.

He quietly closes the door behind him and when he does, he catches a glimpse of the two of them that will probably be seared into his brain forever.

Derek is sitting hunched over on the bed, his hands resting on his knees and his head bowed in exhaustion and Stiles has knelt down in front of him, fingers intertwining with Derek’s and softly resting his forehead against his husband’s.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, moving his face slightly so that his nose is gently rubbing Derek’s.

“I love you,” he adds, before leaning in and brushing their lips together tenderly.

Derek accepts the kiss with a soft, barely there smile and tightens his grip around Stiles’ fingers; spine straightening ever so slightly as if the words have given him renewed strength to keep on going.

The door to the bedroom clicks shut and instead of going downstairs, Danny stumbles to the guest bathroom on the first floor, sinking against the wall and resting his forehead against the cool tiles. He has always thought that Derek was the strong one in their relationship, the one that shielded his lover from harm and ensured that he could continue to see the world through rose-tinted glasses, but the scene he has just observed has completely turned his assumption on its head.

Stiles is so much stronger than he gave him credit for, he really is the anchor that keeps Derek grounded, the glue that holds him together no matter what abuse the media, Congress, or the people may throw at him. Both of them are strong and determined in their own way and although the realistic part of Danny just hopes that he will one day be able to experience a relationship grounded in so much strength and love, the unrealistic and currently much more dominant part of him is suddenly so forcefully turned on he can hardly think straight.

He promises himself that he will seek out the Carver twins tomorrow and find out which one of them has been flirting with him today – he knows that’s a little unfair, but if he wants to keep doing his job properly, he needs a distraction and fast.

Danny washes his face with cold water and as he makes his way down towards the living room where he said he was going to wait for Stiles, he just prays to whichever deity will listen that Derek and Stiles will continue to be unaware of the inappropriate thoughts he’s been having.

Danny could live with them rejecting him, but after tonight he would no longer be able to say no if they didn’t – and that’s just something that is not allowed to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Up: Ethan Carver goes to Jackson for advice, Chris Argent’s troubled sister becomes an issue during the vetting process, and Danny accidentally becomes a voyeur courtesy of Derek and Stiles’ new and improved security system.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been busy with my Alliteration-Verse there for a while, but I have absolutely not forgotten about this story!

Danny’s self-made promise of seeking out the Carver twins gets put on the backburner courtesy of a slight malfunction in the new security system at the Hale-Stilinski residence and by the time he and the technicians – Danny’s actually quite proud of his computer-skills – have managed to locate the bug, Argent is already on the campaign trail and the Carver twins are nowhere near the Capitol when he drives Hale to his office the next day.

Hale’s still looking a little weak but one night of being spooned by his husband – at least that’s what Danny assumes happened – seems to have restored a lot of his energy and once they have finally made it past the many well-wishers, some of whom aren’t really all that genuine in Danny’s humbled opinion, his boss instructs him to go on a coffee break.

Since he’s still supposed to take it easy, Derek only has four appointments today and Danny spends most of the afternoon on the phone with the locations where Derek is scheduled to campaign starting next week, setting up security precautions and making sure that the venue-owners and managers know what they are getting into.

His phone buzzes in his pants but he ignores the message after he’s seen the name, figuring that Jackson can wait a while longer.

After Derek’s fourth appointment Danny pops his head into the office and he quietly releases the breath he’d been holding when he sees that Derek doesn’t look anymore tired than he did this morning.

Derek smiles when he sees him and beckons him inside, stretching out in his seat when Danny closes the door.

“Would you like a piece of cake?” he asks suddenly, taking Danny by complete surprise and when the agent just gapes at him Derek smiles one of his rare, genuine smiles.

“My possible successor to the Whip position decided to _secure_ her position as possible successor and brought me a whole bunch of candy today,” Derek explains and now that he’s pointing it out Danny wonders just how many people are supposed to eat the spread of cakes, pastries, and candy that are stacked inside the possibly largest gift basket Danny has ever seen.

“It’s from a specialty bakery, too, Kira is very ambitious, I will give her that,” Derek says and Danny allows himself to smirk slightly.

“I would have assumed Lydia Martin might be a good choice for Whip after Argent has won the election,” he offers and Derek grins.

“Most definitely so, but I think Chris has higher plans for Lydia, plans that might involve a job that includes ‘Secretary of’ in the title,” he says, holding a finger to his lips in a gesture of secrecy.

It gives Danny all the wrong warm and tingly feelings that he has apparently moved up into the circle of people that Derek Hale actually trusts.

It doesn’t help him quell his desires one tiny bit.

“I really would love for you to have some cake, I can’t eat most of it and if I bring it home to my husband it will be gone by tomorrow and he becomes rather whiny in the face of gastrointestinal distress, especially if he knows it’s his fault,” Derek continues and Danny shrugs.

A piece of cake won’t hurt and he’s always had a sweet tooth.

One forkful in Danny wonders just how special the specialty bakery is and if his paycheck can afford a daily treat-run, because the piece of marzipan-cherry-pecan tart with white chocolate drizzling he’s currently trying not to devour is about the most heavenly cake-creation he has ever tasted.

If Derek wasn’t his boss and in the room he’d probably moan something embarrassing like “Marry me!” at the fork and he’s almost certain his eyes just rolled into the back of his head at the sweet intermingling of tastes on his tongue.

The skin around Derek’s eyes crinkles as he gazes at Danny with an almost fond expression.

“Most of the treats in here are almond-based in some form and let’s just say I’ve seen enough of the inside of a hospital to last me for the next couple of years lately,” he says and Danny wants to slap himself mentally for briefly forgetting that Hale has an almond-allergy, which he should know because it was in the file he studied extensively before meeting him.

His phone buzzes in his pants again and when Hale nods encouragingly he takes it out to look at the message.

It’s Jackson again and this time Danny actually swipes his thumb to read what his best friend is so eagerly trying to tell him – only to promptly turn beet-red and hastily tuck away the phone.

“If my husband was here right now he’d be asking you more indecent questions than you’ve probably been asked in your entire life, but luckily for you I’m completely indifferent to my security details blushing like they were just caught doing something they weren’t supposed to do,” Derek muses and the crinkles around his eyes are back, even though the rest of his face remains impassive.

Danny almost wants to marvel at his ability to do so.

“It comes with the territory of being best friends with Jackson,” he offers as explanation and Derek makes a noise that could almost be a snort.

“I’m sure,” he says and somehow things are a little awkward now, because all Danny wants to do is storm out, call Jackson, and rip him a new one because he has apparently just set Danny up on a date with Ethan Carver.

Derek seems to sense that he is uncomfortable and his eyes turn serious.

“Is there anything security-related I should know about regarding the schedule for the next days?” he asks, voice once again brisk and professional and Danny is both relieved and sad that Hale has retreated back into his shell as he walks the Congressman through the safety procedures for his public appearance at a children’s library the next day.

Just as they are about to leave Hale gets another phone call and after he’s indicated to Danny that this one might take a while longer, Danny is free to march outside, lock himself in the bathroom and call Jackson, which he has been itching to do for almost half an hour.

 

“Dude, what the hell were you thinking?!” Danny almost screeches into the phone when Jackson picks up and when his best friend answers he sounds a little miffed.

“Danny, I’m a good friend, the best, possibly, and well, if a reasonably hot – at least from what I can tell – guy starts talking to me about my best friend and how he admires your skills and your devotion to the job while looking like he’d rather admire your ass and pretty eyes, then it’s my duty to indicate to the guy that said best friend is single and available right now.”

Jackson huffs before Danny can respond.

“And don’t even say otherwise, I’ve told you before, we need to get you laid and don’t even think for a second I haven’t noticed you expanding your crush on Stilinski to the Congressman, because seriously Danny, you really aren’t subtle.”

Danny’s breath catches in his throat and Jackson quickly amends his statement.

“Well, not subtle to me at least, but I’ve known you forever. So don’t freak out, I haven’t heard anything indecent about you in the grapevine yet, they are still too busy talking gossip about me and Lyd … Congresswoman Martin, but Hale is no fool and neither is Stilinski and I figured if we could get your mind and dick to stop fantasizing about a hot little threesome it might not be the worst idea. Quite the contrary in fact.”

Danny inhales, once, twice, a third time for good measure.

When he speaks again he’s quite proud of the fact that he sounds like he’s completely in control.

“So instead of asking me if you can give him my number you not only give him my number but also tell him that I would be happy if he called, all for the sake of saving me from my fantasies concerning my charge?” he asks and he can almost hear Jackson’s jerking nod through the phone.

“You bet your ass I did. The guy was basically asking me for tips to woo you and I figured hey, why not indicate to him that wooing you might be easier than he thought. Not that you’re easy, that’s not what I indicated at all … well, I don’t think I did. Anyways, this is good Danny, not only for yourself but also – and I can’t stress this enough – for your future in the service,” he finishes and Danny can’t help but wonder just how familiar Jackson is with the rules regarding intimacy with their charges.

He’s about to argue back when there’s a knock at the stall-door and Danny pretty much stops breathing until he yanks open the door and realizes it’s _not_ Hale who’s standing in front of him but a young man he doesn’t know.

The guy looks at him in what Danny can only call consternation and it isn’t until he’s hung up on Jackson and is washing his hands that he recognizes the judgmental eyes staring holes into him right now.

It’s the guy Allison Argent brought to the funeral, the guy who is quite obviously good friends with Stilinski.

“So my lovely fiancé occasionally accuses me of jumping to conclusions,” he begins, looking deeply pained at being forced to have this conversation, “but even with my conclusion-jumping skills I’d say it’s a safe bet that you saying that someone set you up for a date to keep you from having _fantasies_ about your charge pretty much means that you have feelings – or something like that – for Derek, correct?”

Danny turns around and just looks at him and the guy – Scott, his name is Scott McCall – sighs.

“Look man, I get it, Derek is hot, yada-yada, but Stiles is my best friend and I can’t ignore you saying you want to steal his husband away from him and I really don’t want to but if I have to I _will_ tell them because I refuse to …”

Danny holds up a hand to stop him, noting with a grim smile that Scott almost seems relieved.

“I can assure you that I have absolutely no desire to steal Congressman Hale away from Mr. Stilinski. I respect them both on a personal and professional level and as you just heard I apparently have a date this weekend, with a very nice guy who would probably also find it a tad rude if I harbored secret fantasies about somebody else,” he says calmly and Scott blinks.

“I want to believe you, I seriously do, mainly because I don’t want to get in a fight with you which I would lose pathetically probably, but also because I know Derek’s pretty much only alive because of you right now and we are all so fucking grateful to you, you have no idea. So I want to happily go on believing that you are a good guy who’d never do anything to harm my best friend. You are a good guy, aren’t you?”

Danny doesn’t feel like a good guy right now, not at all actually, but he nods, forcing his features into a halfway sincere smile.

“I am a good guy. And it’s my job to make sure the bad guys can’t get to your best friend or his husband – nothing else,” he says and Scott exhales loudly, then holds out his hand.

“Scott, Scott McCall. Figured I’d introduce myself before I read you the riot act but then you were just standing there and looking like I just caught you in the act and I’m afraid I overreacted,” he says sheepishly and Danny shakes his head.

“I completely understand,” he assures him and Scott grins.

“Good, the situation is awkward enough as it is already.”

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to take the Congressman home,” Danny replies, because yes, he also finds the situation to be extremely awkward and he’s rather invested in getting out of it as soon as humanly possible.

One thing’s for sure, Danny thinks with a bitter smile as he meets Hale in front of his office and then escorts him out of the building.

Scott McCall would make a really lousy politician.

 

===============

 

Derek hardly says anything on the drive home, has been in a very broody mood ever since Danny met him at the door and they’re almost home when Derek finally starts talking.

“How much do you know about Kate Argent, Agent?” he asks and Danny flinches.

“Uhm – do I have to answer that Sir?”

The answer is ‘a lot’ and none of it is good.

Argent’s sister refused to get out of the arms business with him and they’ve been in a personal feud ever since, although they have tried to shield it from the cameras as much as possible.

In her mid-thirties, Argent’s younger sister is a wild-child, unpredictable and, though Danny takes this particular information with a grain of salt, apparently into dating men who are much younger than her.

Derek sighs.

“I would like you to answer it, because I’ve just spent the past half hour listening to Chris rant about his sister’s last affair which might become a real problem when Chris is vetted. He’s not a hundred percent sure, but the guy was a Senior in High School and chances are he was not 18 yet.”

Danny winces.

“That could be problem,” he admits and Derek sighs again, deeper this time.

“He might have been 18, Kate has stayed mum so far on the issue, but Chris’ PR team is already working overtime to be prepared for the big mess when that information hits. Hopefully sooner rather than later, since there might be a chance that people have pushed it from their minds in a couple of months when election time rolls around. It’s just – a really big mess waiting to happen,” he finished darkly and Danny nods in agreement.

“I’m sure the guy will turn out to have been 18,” he says and Derek shrugs.

“For the kid’s sake, let us all hope so,” he mutters.

When Danny pulls up in front of the house he has a moment of brief panic when he sees Stiles sitting on the front steps, almost sure that Scott went and talked to him after all, but it quickly becomes clear that the person Stiles has been waiting to pounce on is Derek, not him.

“My dad’s getting married!” he grins from ear to ear and Derek’s dark expression lightens up considerably as he embraces his excited husband.

“Congratulations,” Danny offers hesitantly and when Stiles beams at him he’s at least positive that Scott kept his word.

“Thanks Danny! I’m so excited for him, I swear, Scotty and me have been waiting for it to happen ever since we set our parents up to go on a date five years ago. Matchmakers extraordinaire, that’s us!” he grins and Danny doesn’t let his face betray the anxiety he feels at the mention of Scott.

“It’s going to be a quiet affair, just family and a couple of select friends. Well, and Danny of course, we can’t have the future Vice-President of the United States attend a wedding without protection!”

Danny nods dutifully.

“I’m looking forward to it Sir,” he says and Stiles rolls his eyes fondly.

“Danny! I told you to call me Stiles! I feel all weird calling you Danny when you address me as Sir all the time!”

“Noted Sir – Stiles,” Danny corrects himself and Derek shakes his head at both of them before he gently tugs at Stiles’ hand to get him inside.

To celebrate the news properly, Danny thinks when he assumes his guarding position outside the gate.

The security cameras inside are wired to the Secret Service and the house is under constant surveillance by an agent and four hours later Danny is ready to go home and call it day – and possibly mull over how much of a danger Scott McCall is to him now – when his replacement shows up.

He’s just climbed into his car when he gets a call from his boss asking him to check on one of the cameras inside the house again and Danny sighs.

It’s another one of these days that just won’t end and when he lets himself into the house everything’s silent.

It’s 10 PM and Derek’s had an exhausting day so Danny isn’t surprised that the Congressman is already in bed, although he wonders why Stiles isn’t typing away at his computer in the living room, which he usually does at this hour.

He calls out “Hello?” at a moderate volume and when there’s no answer he figures that he’ll just quickly fix the camera and go.

There’s a control-panel in the kitchen and Danny immediately notices that it’s the upper hallway camera again, a vital camera considering the Congressman’s bedroom is camera-free and no one can enter it without having to either first go through said hallway or climb into the window, which would be caught by the outside camera on that side of the house.

Danny quietly walks upstairs and once he’s located the camera it doesn’t take long to fix the mistake.

The door to the master bedroom is open and from where Danny’s standing he has a direct look at the empty bed.

He’s about to step out of the shadowy area directly under the camera to announce his presence when a sliver of light falls into the bedroom and Stiles exits the adjacent bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and otherwise stark-naked.

Danny stills, hoping that Stiles will just shut the door before he goes to bed but Stiles doesn’t. He’s rummaging through a dresser, the towel slipping lower and lower and Danny has to bite his lip to stop himself from breathing too loudly.

He’s about to make a brisk walk for it – to make a run for it would sound far too incriminating – when Derek exits the bathroom sans towel.

He’s just standing in front of the bed, his back turned to Danny, who wonders if he’s going to find out what hyperventilating feels like any second now.

Hale really is built like a Greek statue, even if he is possibly a bit too hairy considering those Greek statues are pretty smooth and clean-shaven usually.

Stiles makes a soft sound of triumph and when he turns around Danny almost bites through his tongue because Stiles tugs the towel away from his waist and spreads it out over the bed, beckoning Derek to come over with a gentle smile.

The Congressman lowers himself unto the towel and rolls on his stomach, head propped up on his elbows as he closes his eyes and breathes evenly.

Whatever Stiles says is too soft for Danny to hear but he gets the gist quickly as Stiles kneels down right next to Derek’s hips and begins to massage his back with the oil he retrieved from the dresser.

He works at Derek’s shoulders and neck first, his oil-coated index fingers slowly moving down the sides of Derek’s neck in circular motions to smooth out any knots before he adds his middle finger on each side to firmly drag them down his husband’s neck.

His shoulders are next and Stiles’ thumbs are digging into his shoulder blades while he kneads the top with his other fingers.

Danny feels like the biggest scum on earth when his gaze drops down to Stiles’ groin, which is decidedly erection-free compared to the growing erection Danny’s been fighting against ever since Derek came into view.

Meanwhile, Stiles’ hands move down Derek’s spine and when he’s reached his glutes he presses a soft kiss against each round buttock before he swiftly moves his hands down the back of each thigh and calf, taking one of Derek’s feet and kneading his thumbs into the arch.

He repeats the motion on the other foot and then he pats Derek’s butt lightly, hands gently guiding his hips when Derek turns around slowly and lies back down on his back.

He also doesn’t have an erection and well, maybe they do this a lot and are used to each other’s naked bodies, unlike Danny, who has to fight his instinct to just barge into the room and beg them to take him.

Danny promises himself to do penance for this later but then Stiles trails his fingers along Derek’s collarbone and Danny forgets all about his penance.

Derek’s eyes are closed as Stiles lets his hands glide all over Derek’s chest, softly raking his fingers through the dark shock of chest hair.

When he’s reached Derek’s hip bones he runs his thumbs over the barely there protrusions, hands forming the shape of a v as he lets them glide down Derek’s muscular stomach and towards his groin.

Only he doesn’t pay attention to the groin area at all, choosing instead to knead the front of Derek’s thighs and repeating the motion all the way down to his feet.

Danny barely hears the soft sound Derek makes when Stiles slowly spreads his legs so he can kneel between them and then he gently wipes the oil off of Derek’s skin with a soft wash-cloth, a gesture that, somehow, makes Danny feel even worse for watching because it’s so incredibly intimate.

When Stiles is satisfied that Derek’s skin is clean he lets the washcloth drop down the side of the bed and begins trailing kisses up the inside of Derek’s calves and thighs.

He spends almost a minute nuzzling the sensitive skin of Derek’s inner thighs, his mouth tantalizingly close to even more sensitive areas, and Danny has to clamp his hand over his mouth to stop himself from making a sound.

Again, Derek’s groin is ignored as Stiles kisses his way up Derek’s stomach and chest, tongue trailing around the sensitive nubs.

When he’s reached Derek’s face he plants one hand on his husband’s chest, securing himself as the other hand reaches for Derek’s hand.

Stiles kisses his knuckles, his wrist, nosing along his inner forearm and eliciting a soft chuckle from Derek.

The treatment is repeated on the other arm and when Danny is sure that there is no inch of Derek’s front left that hasn’t been kissed yet, Stiles finally leans down and captures his husband’s lips in an open-mouthed kiss.

His hands are framing Derek’s face, arms resting against his shoulders, and Derek’s hands are grasping Stiles’ slim hips, gently pushing him down until their groins are aligned.

The kiss goes on forever, at least that’s what it seems like to Danny, who is biting down onto one hand while the other rubs at his groin.

Eventually, however, the need for air seems to temporarily outweigh the sensations of kissing and Stiles sits back on his haunches between Derek’s spread legs, giving him – and Danny – a perfect view of the erection that is slowly thickening between Derek’s legs.

Stiles’ own erection is straining against his stomach, looking like its in desperate need of attention, but instead of satisfying the urge Stiles bends down and trails his tongue up Derek’s shaft, following the thick veins until he’s reached the head.

One of Derek’s arms is bent behind his head, allowing him to grip the metal bars of the headboard, while the other is carding shaky fingers through Stiles’ hair as he bobs his head up and down, slowly and deliberately.

One of his large hands is gripping Derek’s thigh and the other has slipped between Derek’s legs.

Danny can’t tell if he’s playing with Derek’s balls or if he’s teasing his hole, but it seems to push Derek over the edge, back arching beautifully as he bucks up from the bed.

When Derek’s orgasm is over Stiles sits back up and he begins stroking himself, one hand lightly gripping Derek’s hip.

Only Derek won’t have it and – after he’s made a grab for the oil – he gets on his knees as well and effectively shields Stiles from Danny’s view as he wraps one arm around the younger man’s back and reaches for him with the other.

Danny can only assume what’s happening now, can only see the swift movement’s of Derek’s elbow and the light smacking sounds as he kisses Stiles again and again.

Stiles’ hands are holding on to Derek’s upper arms as if they a lifeline, Danny can almost see the veins in his hands from how hard he’s gripping Derek and when he utters a choked cry Danny almost comes with him.

He doesn’t, but it’s the hardest thing he’s done in a long time, squeezing his eyes shut and biting down on his hand so hard it actually hurts.

When he opens his eyes again Stiles has closed any remaining distance between him and Derek and is molded against him, long arms wrapped around the small of his back and his chin tucked onto Derek’s shoulder as his breathing returns to normal.

His eyes are closed and Danny is plotting his escape when Stiles’ eyes suddenly open and stare at him.

Only he’s not staring at Danny, Danny tries to tell his currently out-of-order heart and lungs, he can’t possibly see Danny in the darkness, but he is definitely looking at the direction of the camera.

A smirk runs across his face and he nudges Derek’s cheek with his nose, says something to him with a small smile.

Derek turns his head around so he can look at the red dot of the camera as well, rolls his eyes, mutters something and then Stiles slides off the bed in languid, boneless movements, walks towards the door of the bedroom and – closes it with a soft click.

Danny doesn’t _bolt_ but it’s a near thing and when he’s downstairs he barely stops himself from slamming the front door shut behind him.

He can’t go out there like this, looking shell-shocked and hopelessly turned on, not to mention the erection that’s tenting his revealing work-slacks obscenely at this point.

When he leans his heated forehead against the cool tiles in the downstairs bathroom and begins to jerk himself off with rapid, almost angry strokes, he imagines kneeling behind Derek, hands lightly stroking his hips and Stiles looking at him over Derek’s shoulder, his mouth slightly open and desire for _Danny_ making his eyes seem darker than they actually are.

It doesn’t take long and when he finally makes his way out the door, past the bored agent and into the safety of his car he’s never felt so ashamed, confused, and bone-less in his life.

The line’s most definitely been crossed and Danny desperately hopes that Ethan Carver can pull him back to the other side again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Up: Danny feels really guilty, Derek is good with kids, Stiles starts acting weird around our favorite Secret Service Agent and Aiden thinks his brother's setting himself up for heartbreak.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek is great with children, Danny feels guilty, Stiles is acting weird, and Aiden worries that his brother is headed for some serious heartbreak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some of y'all probably thought this was abandoned and I'm truly sorry for the epic break in posting, but I was extremely blocked on this for the longest time. Rest assured the next chapter won't be posted after such a long hiatus and I do promise I'm not going to leave this unfinished, I have way too much heart invested in this story.

Derek Hale is good with kids. No, scratch that, Derek Hale is phenomenal with kids and if Danny was a woman he’d probably be suffering an ovary-explosion right now. As it is, he can barely stop himself from forgetting that he doesn’t want children as he watches the vice-presidential nominee read a story to the future voters of this country,

He’s technically not supposed to sit in cuddle distance, both for security reasons and to stop the right-wingers from getting more ammunition in their attempts to discredit Hale because of his sexuality – as far as homophobes go, the ones that constantly insist that homosexuality equals pedophilia are probably those that Danny wants to throttle the most – but within the first five minutes of the event Hale has migrated from his chair to the floor, sitting cross-legged and reading from the book with about half of the children in attendance crowding in on him so that they are almost in touching distance.

“Mr. Derek? Can you do the wolf’s voice again?”

The little boy looks up at Derek with a hopeful smile on his face and Derek, who’s holding the book with one hand and has his other arm wrapped around a barely two-year old little girl who snuggled herself into his side the moment he sat down on the floor and has refused to surrender her position since, grins.

“I’ll huff and puff and I’ll blow your house in,” he repeats dutifully, the corners of his eyes once again crinkling in the way which Danny has quickly identified as his Achilles’ heel when it comes to fighting his attraction to his boss.

The children clap delightedly and it might be Danny’s imagination but he feels like there are some sighs coming from the adult parts of the audience.

If he wasn’t currently busy choosing names for the imaginary children he’d like to have in his imaginary – and illegal – polyamorous marriage with Hale and Stilinski he’d totally judge them.

“Did you guys know that my family calls me Sour Wolf sometimes?” Derek asks, interrupting Danny’s internal debate whether Benedict or Nicholas would be a fitting name for their firstborn son, and the children shake their heads, looking enraptured.

“Why Mr. Derek?” another boy calls out from the audience and Derek winks at him.

“They call me wolf because that was my favorite animal when I was a little kid and they call me sour because sometimes, when I don’t get my will or my mom hasn’t made my favorite dessert when I come to visit her, I become very grumpy and when I do my face looks like I just bit into a lemon,” he explains and the children giggle loudly, many of them obviously sharing the sentiment.

“Is your mommy mean?” a little girl in the first row asks, looking deeply concerned over Derek’s possible lack of tasty treats and Derek shakes his head quickly, smiling at her reassuringly.

“I have the best mommy in the world – even when she makes a dessert that my sisters like better,” he says with conviction, then blushes, one hand coming up to tug at his ear and yep, Danny is not imagining it, there are _definitely_ some sighs coming from the mothers in the audience.

“Mr. Derek?” the first boy – wearing a nametag that tells Danny his name is Declan – asks, tugging at Derek’s sleeve lightly and Derek turns towards him, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

Danny wasn’t even aware that Hale could use his eyebrows for anything not terrifying and if he were a Victorian era romance novel cliché he’d definitely be breathless right now.

“Yes Declan?” Derek asks and Declan stares at Derek’s hand on his head, looking worried.

“Is your ouchie still bad?” he continues and Derek looks confused for a second before his features darken ever so briefly.

“What are you talking about?” he asks, obviously trying to avoid discussing the issue of hate-crimes in front of a group of kindergarteners and their younger siblings if he doesn’t absolutely have to.

Danny tenses automatically when the room falls silent, the only sound audible being the furious clicking of cameras and the shuffling of the present reporters as they try to get closer to hear Derek’s answer.

“I saw you getting an ouchie on your head on the news! Daddy got really angry and my Mommy even cried! They said it was a … a …” the child pauses, looking towards his mother in the audience for a second before his expression brightens.

“A shame! A shame that you got an ouchie just for being you! Did it hurt really bad?” he continues, hesitantly reaching out his hand to the back of the Congressman’s head and Derek looks torn, gaze flitting between Danny and a determined looking young woman in the audience – the boy’s mother, Danny figures.

When the woman nods Derek takes a deep breath, bowing his head slightly so the child can actually reach, dragging his free hand through his hair where Danny knows there are still some remaining stitches.

“It hurt in the beginning but now it doesn’t hurt at all,” Derek says, trying to sound light but his voice cracking on the last word when the boy places his hand on Derek’s shoulder, stands on his tiptoes and smacks a quick kiss on the Congressman’s head.

“Declan!” the boy’s mother exclaims, her eyes meeting Danny’s fearfully, as if she’s expecting him to tackle her five-year old right then and there, and Danny shakes his head quickly, barely missing it when the boy declares, “Kisses make ouchies feel better! Are you better now?”

Derek is staring at the boy and the vulnerability in his eyes make Danny’s heart clench. He’s never seen the Congressman look like this, not even after the attack or when he first showed him the hate-messages he and his husband have been receiving for years.

It breaks his heart and reaffirms his faith in humanity at the same time when the little girl who’s been holding Derek’s right arm hostage all throughout the reading takes her thumb out of her mouth and pats Derek’s cheek, cooing, “Better!” at him with a pleased expression before she sticks her thumb back in her mouth.

Derek swallows, then nods, not even bothering to wipe away the little spit-trail on his cheek as he turns to the children, voice full of emotion when he says, “I _am_ better. Thank you.”

The cameras’ clicking has reached a crescendo now and out of the corner of his eye Danny can already see the first journalists yanking their smart phones out of their pockets to post on Twitter.

He’s certain that the Right will find a way to spin this negatively _somehow_ – quite certain, in fact – but now, in this moment, he feels like everything is going to turn out ok.

He’s so elated he almost forgets about how guilty he feels.

 

====================

 

By the time Danny walks Derek to his front door it seems as if 99 percent of the American population with access to the Internet are talking about the incident at the library and Danny is not at all surprised when the door is yanked open before Derek can even insert his key.

Two seconds later Stiles is wrapped all around his husband, gripping him tightly.

“Are you ok Derek?” he asks softly and Derek burrows his face into Stiles’ neck, nodding ever so slightly.

Stiles’ expression suggests he’s not at all convinced.

“I saw your face on the news my love, you looked like you were about to cry and you haven’t cried since our dog got run over last year, so please don’t lie to me,” he whispers, one hand stroking lightly along the building scar-tissue on his head and Derek exhales loudly, lifting his face from Stiles’ neck and pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

When he draws back he smiles, his eyes, which were troubled for the entire drive back home, lighting up.

“When we win the election the first piece of legislature I’m going to have Chris push through Congress is a modification to the adoption laws, you realize that, right?” he says, going for nonchalance and failing ever so spectacularly when his voice once again breaks, making Danny feel like he should take a step back, to stop intruding on a very private moment.

Stiles traces his fingers along Derek’s cheekbones, his expression somewhat amused even though his eyes are still clouded with worry.

“Don’t you think a gay-married vice-president is enough of a shock for one presidential term?” he asks, smiling when Derek shakes his head in determination.

“Go big or go home, right?” he half-asks, half-states and Stiles shakes his head with a fond grin.

“Let’s make sure you go march your hot ass into our new quarters at Number One Observatory Circle first before we think about where to paint the nursery,” he admonishes his husband lightly and Danny gets the distinct feeling that he is witnessing something that might not be quite an argument but definitely a longstanding discussion.

In all honesty, if a neon-sign reading “Intruder” descended from the sky right now and flashed its arrows at Danny, he wouldn’t even be surprised.

Stiles seems to share the sentiment, because when he suddenly turns to Danny the smile on his face vanishes, the fond look in his eyes being replaced with caution.

“Agent,” he greets and for a moment Danny doesn’t even realize why the greeting rubs him in all the wrong ways.

“Mr. Stilinski,” he replies automatically, his eyes widening slightly when he remembers that he and Stiles are supposed to be on a first-name basis.

For an agonizing second Danny feels like breathing is no longer an option, the guilt inside him transforming into anxiety as he tries to come up with an explanation for Stiles’ unusually cool attitude.

Maybe Scott … but no, that’s impossible, Scott believes that Danny is only crushing on Derek, not both of them.

If Stiles thought Danny was going to make a move on his Derek, the Congressman would probably know as well and Danny is certain he’d be reassigned the moment Hale felt anything could compromise his marriage.

There’s no way Stiles could have seen him watch them last night – spying on them, really, no reason to sugarcoat it – but maybe his guilty conscience is radiating from his face, because _something_ has definitely made Stiles suspicious and the thought that he might know, that it might repulse him, even, is really almost enough to send Danny into the first panic attack of his life.

Stiles shakes his head, clucks his tongue, tilts his head to the side in a way that looks contemplating.

“Mr. Stilinski- _Hale_ ,” he corrects, staring at Danny with a very guarded expression on his angelic – Danny needs to get a grip and _fast_ – face.

“Right, of course, I’m sorry, I’m …”

Stiles holds up a hand, stern expression faltering almost as if he’s regretting his words.

“Gah, no, I’m sorry. Many people only address me by Stilinski and with the ones who’ve known me forever that’s ok, they’re used to it, but some people do it deliberately, as if they couldn’t be clearer that they don’t accept my life-choices and I … yeah, sorry about that, I know that’s not what you’re about at all, I guess it’s just been a very _weird_ couple of days.”

He’s trying to go for his trade-mark sheepish smile but it doesn’t reach his eyes and Danny’s heart pounds in his chest, looking between him and the Congressman, who is rubbing his eyes and frowning at his husband in mild confusion.

“You ok?” Derek asks softly, stroking across Stiles’ upper arm and Stiles sighs, reaching for the older man’s hand and bringing it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against the knuckles.

“I … I was on Twitter,” he admits and Derek groans loudly, using the hand that’s still being held close to Stiles’ lips to pinch the younger man’s nose.

“You have no self-control, _none_!” he chides and Stiles huffs.

“Forgive me for being an idealist,” he says moodily and Derek kisses his temple, sighing in apology.

“I love your for being an idealist. But you know just as well as I do that reading hysterical Twitter wars over whether or not I just turned a five year old innocent boy gay by allowing him to kiss me just aren’t good for one’s mental health,” he says softly, eyes sad when Stiles lets out a sound that’s almost a whimper.

“You have no self-control either,” he whispers and Derek, who’s been updated by his Press Secretary Malia Tate ever since they left the library – why Hale insists on employing the least diplomatic person in the history of mankind as his PR-spokeswoman Danny will never, ever understand – shrugs.

“It’s my job,” he replies and when he turns towards Danny his expression is all professional, almost dismissive.

“Thanks for your assistance today Agent. My husband and I won’t be needing your assistance further tonight.”

It’s a near thing but Danny barely avoids choking on his own spit.

There is no weird emphasis or meaningful stares embedded in what his boss just said, but the way Stiles tenses against him clearly indicates Danny is not the only one who has caught the double meaning and it almost makes him want to vomit with nerves.

His mouth works on autopilot when he says, “Great, Sir. Same time tomorrow?” and as the men climb up the stairs to their home Danny feels like he wants to shrivel up and die when Stiles throws him a last, unreadable stare over his shoulder before the door slams shut.

 _He knows, he knows, he knows_!

His vision is blacking out at the sides as panic begins to well up inside Danny and he stumbles towards his car, ignores the questioning stare of the night-guard, slams the door shut behind him and fumbles for his phone, shaking like a leaf.

Danny doesn’t even realize he’s dialed Jackson’s number until his best friend picks up the phone, sounding slightly out of breath and mightily displeased.

“Can it wait?” he snaps and Danny tries to answer around the invisible obstruction that has taken up residence inside his throat and is choking him, breath coming out in small wheezes as he struggles to get the words out.

“Danny?” Jackson asks, annoyance replaced by concern in an instant and Danny swallows heavily.

“I’m going to lose my job!” he gets out and when Jackson snaps, “Why?” sounding truly startled, Danny can’t stop himself from laughing desperately.

“He _knows_! Stiles knows! He knows that I want him, that I want _them_ , and last night I spied on them while they were doing it and he’ll probably have me arrested for voyeurism and I’ll …”

“Hold on!” Jackson barks, stopping him midsentence.

“Excuse me but you did _what_?” he continues, sounding truly incredulous now and Danny resists the urge to bang his head against his steering wheel.

“I spied on them! Well, it was an accident, technically, but I could have left unnoticed and I didn’t, I watched them, and it was amazing, but it wasn’t worth losing my fucking job over!”

“Well …” Jackson begins and Danny holds his breath, watching a bird land on the fence of the house.

The bird turns its tiny head towards him and Danny feels like he’s definitely being judged.

“Danny, listen, I’m not going to go and say that watching your boss and his husband have sex last night was the smartest thing you’ve ever done, but …”

Jackson trails off, tone a little uncomfortable now.

“You … aw damn it, you know about Lydia and me, right?”

It’s the first time that his best friend has ever actually admitted it, but Danny doesn’t feel triumphant at all.

“Uhm …” he replies and Jackson sighs, whispering something to an undoubtedly female voice in the background before he continues.

“Yeah, exactly. My point is, Lydia and I have had an on-off thing going on for the past two years and I’m not deluding myself into thinking no one knows. Yet I’m still doing my job and no one has ever dared to give Lydia crap about me. We work in a very strange environment Danny, and the rules about what’s acceptable and what’s not change literally every day. You haven’t done anything, really, you’ve never said anything to them and the voyeurism, well, I guess you could technically call that part of your protective duties, if you may, the director might even go for it, but …”

He pauses for emphasis and Danny sighs, certain of what his best friend is about to say.

“You have to stop it. Now! Before it actually becomes a problem. Hale is too much of a controversial figure as it is, no one needs rumors about a gay threesome with the bodyguard getting leaked to the press, least of all the Argent-Hale presidential ticket. Stiles knows that, too, so he probably won’t report you but …”

There’s a shuffle on the other line and when Lydia’s voice rings through the speaker Danny is not even the least bit surprised.

“Listen carefully Danny, this is important. I know Stiles and I know Derek, they are both very dear to me and they’ll never, _ever_ compromise their marriage, not for you, not for anyone. If Derek doesn’t know about this Stiles will probably keep quiet, he knows you saved Derek’s life and he also knows that exchanging you now, when everything is finally running according to plan, would lead to questions and complications, so he’s not going to risk that. That being said, however, he’s not going to sit there quietly and watch you become a potential threat to his happiness, so for your own sake I’d really advise you to turn your attention towards someone else.”

She stops, takes a deep breath; her voice made of steel when she continues.

“And by someone else I mean someone who is _consenting_ , not someone who doesn’t know he’s being watched! That wasn’t just a – how did you put it Jackson – ‘not the smartest thing you’ve ever done’ stunt you pulled there, that was a terrible invasion of privacy, downright criminal, in fact. Just because you’re in a position to be in their home at all times that doesn’t mean you can abuse it, which I’m sure you know!”

Danny sighs unhappily. He’s tried to avoid thinking about last night in these terms but he knows she’s right and it’s a huge part of the reason Stiles’ changed attitude towards him is affecting him so much.

Not that he knows anything for sure, Stiles could still be working off of instinct here, but the mere thought that a man he’s admired for so long, not because of his looks but because of everything he stand for, might feel violated by him is … yeah, Danny feels like a scumbag, no doubt about it.

Lydia takes his silence for agreement, because she moves on, her tone still relatively steely.

“You know, many people underestimate Stiles. They look at him in connection to Derek and what they see is that he’s the ‘smaller’ one, the ‘less’ manly one, the one who can’t seem to grow facial hair, the one that swims with dolphins at the NGO rather than go out to face the sharks in the men’s world that is our government, but these people are all sorely mistaken. Stiles has power, more power than many people in this town realize, and love can make people do strange things; impulsive things that they might regret later. The point is, and I can’t believe I’m even saying this, if Stiles doesn’t mint that little fantasy of yours he’ll find a way to let you know. If he does … well, let’s just say, you won’t like it when he gets angry.”

There is no doubt in Danny’s mind that Stiles would appreciate the Hulk-pun and the fact that he even knows this just shows once again how very deeply he’s in over his head.

He’s also very much in agreement with Lydia’s assessment, has seen how strong Stiles is for himself many times over in the past weeks, and he can’t quite quell the renewed burst of desire in his gut, even though the guilt burns as brightly as it did last night.

“I can’t just turn it off,” he says quietly, wincing when Lydia snaps, “Yes you can!” her tone leaving no room for argument.

When she speaks again she sounds decidedly softer.

“I know it’s hard, I know it’s frustrating, but even if all of this couldn’t blow up in a big political sex-scandal that could cost Derek his name on the ticket, at the end of the day they are still _married_ , and that’s something you’ll just have to respect.”

She’s right, Danny knows she is, but that doesn’t make the truth easier to swallow.

Jackson is on the line again, sounding deeply chagrined and Danny feels terrible for involving him in all of this, aware that Jackson has quite a lot on his plate himself.

“Look, Danny, we’re in West Virginia right now, but we’re headed back home at the earliest opportunity tomorrow. It’s all a rumor for now but Lydia’s sources are usually pretty legit and if what she heard a couple of hours ago is true then by tomorrow afternoon _everyone_ and their mother will be talking about the presidential candidate’s sister feeling up a 16 year old kid last year. It’ll be all “I know what you did last summer”, only this time with real-world consequences. Someone spilled the beans to the press – Lydia’s source mentioned the kid’s mother – and by tomorrow afternoon Argent will be known as the candidate with the gay vice-president, the statutory rapist sister, the gun-loving egomaniac father who is currently spending all the money Chris was supposed to inherit on hookers and political campaigns _against_ him, the daughter who is pregnant out of wedlock by her shaggy-haired boy-toy – _ouch_ , damn it Lydia, it’s not like they’ll be able to hide it much longer! – _and_ someone’s even spreading rumors about his wife’s death having been a suicide, that she actually _paid_ the kid to come to the school and shoot her! We need him to get elected and the cards are already stacked against him in every way possible, so for the love of all that’s holy, pull yourself together and _don’t_ add threesome-bodyguard-affair to the increasingly growing list of pelvis-related problems Argents going to have to deal with in this campaign!”

“Will do,” Danny mutters, saluting the air – and the still staring bird on the fence – with a weak wave of his arm.

After he’s hung up he stares at his phone, playing over all the new information in his mind. If what Jackson said is true – and he has no doubt that it is, Lydia Martin seems to have been born with the sight it seems like at times – shit is about to hit the fan and stink up the whole town, making everyone’s life all that more complicated, hectic, and – in Hale and Argent’s cases – life-threatening.

He can’t allow himself to devote more time to his hopeless infatuation, can’t even dare to spend one more second beating himself up over his serious error the night before, he needs to focus on his job, keep Hale from getting killed and, hopefully, stay out of the press’ radar, aware that even an article titled “Gay Vice-Presidential Hopeful Guarded By Gay Agent – Orgasms Included In The _Service_ ” could spell political doom in their charged social atmosphere.

He needs to clear his head, desperately, and as luck may have it he just has the perfect solution.

Composing himself and plastering on his best, dimpled smile Danny reaches for his phone once more.

“Hey, Ethan? It’s Danny.”

 

===================

 

“Something’s not right about this!”

Ethan Carver shrugs, opening his beer calmly and staring at the television, seemingly completely undisturbed by his increasingly agitated brother.

They are in a hotel room in Maine, on a Chris-mandated break after almost three-days of nonstop protection.

The presidential candidate is taking his daughter out for a lobster-dinner date – to grill her about her rather delicate private life, no doubt – and two of the younger agents on their team are working tonight, giving the twins a much-needed rest.

“I mean it, something seems wrong about this!”

Ethan takes another swig of his beer, looking over at his brother with an almost offended expression.

“What? I can’t have a nice, very hot guy ask me out on a date?”

Aiden grunts, haughtily displeased.

“No dumbass, that’s not what I mean at all! I just don’t get why he’s trying to ask _you_ out when he’d rather crawl in between the sheets with Hale and Stilinski!”

Ethan winces, shaking his head at himself for the irrational burst of jealousy.

“He doesn’t want that,” he mutters, draining his beer and reaching for another and Aiden clucks his tongue, expression grim.

“You can call me Gossip Girl all you want – which, by the way, happens to be an _awesome_ show and I like it, so sue me – but I _know_ things, alright? And your Danny is even less subtle than that douche bag Whittemore when it comes to how head over heels he is for his boss!”

Ethan laughs loudly, taken by surprise.

“ _Whittemore_? And _Martin_? Not even,” he declares, shaking his head when Aiden pouts.

“Quite even, actually! Rumor has it he’s even thinking about retiring from the Service so they can be together for real. Not that I’d blame the guy, I just don’t understand Lydia!”

Ethan reaches over and pats his brother’s shoulder comfortingly, aware that unrequited infatuation sucks balls – and not in the good way.

“I don’t even want to know where you hear all of these things,” he says, focusing back on his beer and Aiden grins sharply.

“I am pretty so people tell me things,” he declares with conviction and Ethan snorts, ducking when his brother takes a swat at the back of his head.

“Ruggedly handsome? Maybe. Pretty? No chance in hell,” he smirks and Aiden shrugs, grinning when his brother rolls his eyes.

“What can I say, we both know I’m the hotter twin. The fact remains, however, that your Danny really isn’t subtle and if you want to hear my opinion you’re setting yourself up for heartbreak by chasing after a guy who’s already planning his illegal wedding to the future vice president of the United States and his apparently ‘so hot I can’t even’ philanthropist husband.”

Ethan ignores him, refusing to even acknowledge that his brother might be right. He wants to give this a shot, he really does, and dooming something before it even starts has never been quite his thing.

Aiden plays with the now empty bottle in his hand, finger tracing along the rim as he frowns, obviously deep in thought.

“How does Hale even miss all that pining, I wonder? Aren’t you guys supposed to be able to have a sixth sense for that sort of thing?”

Ethan groans.

“Gee, absolutely! Just like you _guys_ always know when a woman wants you to mount her?”

Aiden raises his hands defensively, looking vexed at himself.

“That’s not what … I’m not … you’re an ass!”

“I _like_ ass, there’s a difference!”

Aiden winces; then looks angry at himself for wincing and Ethan sighs, reaching over and knocking his knuckles against his brother’s temple to show they’re ok.

His brother tries, he tries really hard, ever since their father had kicked Ethan out of the house at the age of 16 and Aiden had followed him hours later, carrying two suitcases, a shiner on his left eye and looking both terrified and determined.

They talk to their mother, now, after many years of silence, but they never mention their father and Ethan still feels as if Aiden is trying to make it up to him somehow, the lack of fatherly love and approval substituted by an overly accepting brother.

It’s nice, sometimes, but often it just makes Ethan feel uncomfortable.

He doesn’t like constantly being made to feel that there is in fact something special about him, that he is _not_ like the other guys but that it doesn’t matter; because, frankly, he _is_ just like the other guys in the Service, the only difference between them that the lips he likes to kiss at night are often framed by stubble.

Aiden doesn’t know that his desire to prove to the world that his gay brother is just like everyone else frequently has the exact opposite effect; that the very fact that he stresses the ‘gay’ brother part singles him out.

His sexuality is a huge part of who he is, no doubt about it, but there are so many other things that make up his personality; he doesn’t want to be the ‘gay’ brother, he wants to be the _brother_ , period and sometimes he wants to shake his well-meaning twin’s shoulders, get into his face and tell him that by making sure everyone treats him like he’s special he’s also making sure that he’ll always be different, but he also doesn’t want to hurt Aiden’s feelings.

He occasionally wonders if he’s being ungrateful, then gets angry at himself for feeling like he has to be grateful not to be hated and discriminated against, because that should be the fucking norm and the fact that it’s not is … well.

Ethan has quite a lot of opinions about that, but now is not the time and place.

Instead, he turns to his twin, sighing deeply when Aiden stares back with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“So, that Danny guy. I was wondering … Since when do you like Twinkies anyways?” his brother asks as he opens up his third beer of the evening and Ethan snorts loudly, this time putting effort into it when he whacks his twin over the head.

“The term is Twink you hopeless oaf and he’s not a Twink, geez! And even if some people would be inclined to call him that, _maybe_ , it’s still often used in a derogatory way and I don’t like it, so just shut up, ok?”

Aiden shrugs, contemplates.

“Well, he does have a very bronze-ish skintone. Or is that olive? Heck, you’d know the difference I bet. Wait, that was a bit racist, right? Or was that sexist?”

Ethan rolls his eyes, taking a large gulp of his beer to grant him patience.

“I’m not a woman,” he mutters and Aiden barks out laughter, looking slightly disturbed.

“Good thing, too, since we’re apparently not _pretty_ but rather ruggedly handsome you’d make a butt-ugly woman!” he declares and Ethan punches his upper arm, noting with satisfaction that his brother looks a little chagrined now.

“Do I even want to know where you were going with that?”

Aiden grins, rummaging in his shoulder bag that’s been lying on the floor for the past hour and when he comes back up he’s holding a slightly squished Twinkie.

Ethan groans. Loudly.

“Don’t!” he begs, closing his eyes in defeat when Aiden unceremoniously unwraps the disgusting candy, takes a large bite and then holds the remaining half of the Twinkie in front of Ethan, grinning manically and squeezing just so that a bit of the thick cream – well, the chemical monstrosity that camouflages itself as cream, really – drips out.

“Yummy! I bet you’d get a nice, salty-sweet surprise if that Danny guy forgets about his crush on the Halinskis long enough to actually let you suck on _his_ Twinkie!”

Ethan makes a gagging noise, lunging over to tackle his brother to the couch.

“The plague on you and your descendants!” he exclaims, sputtering in indignation when Aiden uses the opportunity to stuff the rest of the disgusting candy in his mouth.

By the time Ethan has Aiden in a headlock they are on the floor, couch table knocked over and two bottles of beer soaking into the hotel’s plush carpet and Ethan would feel bad about that, really, he would, but well, he’s won and that triumph chases away the shame of two grown men acting like they’re five.

“Twiiiiiinkie!” Aiden wheezes out from between Ethan’s arms, but he’s laughing and when he joins in, letting go of his brother so they can both roll on their backs and catch their breath, Ethan reconsiders his gloomy thoughts from earlier.

As warped as it sounds, the fact that Aiden is not even afraid he’ll offend him by using he most disgusting candy known to man as a blowjob metaphor, that they can wrestle, laugh, and roughhouse about this just like ‘one of the guys’ shows Ethan more acceptance than any pride-flag pin on his brother’s suit lapel ever could.

Not that making fun of what other people do in the bedroom is the Oxford definition of respectful, not by a long-shot, but Ethan’s been in enough locker rooms to know that this is just what happens sometimes and he’ll take this over a respectful, “I totally support your right to stuff a guy’s penis in your mouth, but I’ll pretend I don’t know you’re doing it,” any day.

His brother loves him and Ethan knows that the discussion about Danny and whether or not he’s going to break Ethan’s heart is far from over.

There’s also bound to be some gossip, but Ethan doesn’t care, because, in the meantime, he’s actually got a date with Danny on Sunday and it really can’t go worse than wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Up: Danny and Ethan go on a date, a press conference ends in a complete public relations disaster, Gerard aligns himself with the opposition, there are two weddings, and Stiles and Derek get into a serious fight.

**Author's Note:**

> As this work progresses, I will add more tags and warnings when they become relevant, but for now, I don't really want to give too much away of the plot yet ... except the part where I tagged this Derek Hale/Danny Mahealani/Stiles Stilinski, because Sterek/Danny (from now until forever known as Stenny!) is my new OT3 and will prooooobably (wink wink, nudge nudge) happen sooner or later, but I am certain that after the set-up of the first chapter this will not really come as a surprise to anybody who has read more than one fan fiction in his/her life, so I don't feel too bad about the spoiler ;-).
> 
> Comments are appreciated!
> 
> P.S: I tumble now! Come and say hi!
> 
> http://kaliopeshipsit.tumblr.com/


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